Precocious Love
by Anonymous Contributer
Summary: Lucina has had a crush on Robin since she was a little girl. Now she's grown up and went back to the past to fix everything, but is distracted by her feelings for the handsome tactician. How is she supposed to save the future when a total hottie is always by your side and you can't control your jealousy near a certain dark mage? And why is hilarity ensuing?
1. Bumbling Beginnings

**Chapter 1 – Bumbling Beginnings**

**Hey everyone, it's my birthday...yesterday! How old am I now you didn't ask? Well now when I'm depressed and wanna drink myself into a coma, I can do it legally, instead of using knockout gas to steal from the liquor store! And to celebrate my brithday I decided to give you all this story as a thank you-gift for all the glowing praise you've given me for "FIRE EMBLEM: AWAKENING (Honest Game Trailers)".**

**So about this story: If anyone has read my profile (HAHAHA! Like anyone actually reads those!), you can tell this was not a planned thing. It also goes against my FE:A OTP (RobinXLucina is good, but I'll always be a proud crew member aboard the GeromeXLucina ship! It also seems I'm the only member of this ship, which sucks because we're in the middle of the ocean and I don't know how to drive a boat). Well since this is a gift, I'm just gonna give you the pairing you all love (don't deny it). After all, pandering to the fanbase is always good, right? Right!? Okay, that was mean to be sarcasm, but then I realized pandering is part of the reason "RWBY Volume 2" is like at least 10 times better than "Volume 1".**

**I'm also gonna let you in on something. Half the reason I wrote this is because I'm using this story as an experiment to test out a theory (you don't need to know the details). The other half is because there was a joke I thought up and I had to use it (you'll know it when you see it). You've also probably noticed this title doesn't say complete. Well that's because if this goes well, I will consider writing more of this and making it a full-fledged series. Now onto the show!**

**Rating: T for mild sexual references and strong language in the author's notes.**

* * *

_The Original Future…_

"Chrom, I'm here!" called out a white-haired man.

He was currently standing in the foyer of the Royal Palace of Ylisse, waiting for the Exalt (and his best friend), and the rest of his family. Fortunately, he didn't have to wait long, as he could already hear two tiny pairs of feet racing towards him.

"Robin's here! Robin's here!" two girly voices chanted.

The lone man known as Robin crouched down with his arms wide open, preparing himself for the inevitable outcome of two little girls crashing into him, enveloping him in a big hug.

"Whoa-ho! Hey now." said Robin as he finally composed himself and looked down at the young, bluenette princesses, Lucina and Cynthia. "I call for Chrom, and get you two instead."

"Tee hee. That's because we're your bestest friends!" giggled Cynthia. "Even more than daddy!" Lucina only nodded in agreement.

With a cheeky grin, Robin replied, "That's a good point. Who needs him when I got my favorite girls right in front of me." He then ruffled the children's hair, eliciting more laughter out of both of them and a blush from Lucina.

"Oh please. They only love you because you spoil them so much." spoke a masculine voice in a joking tone.

Robin looked in the voice's direction and found a handsome, blue-haired, regal-looking man followed by a lovely woman in whitish armor walking towards him. They were the leader of the country, Chrom, and his queen, Sumia, respectively. And of course, they were obviously the parents of Lucina and Cynthia.

"Well maybe if you ran into my arms every once in a while, I'd spoil you too." Robin jested back.

"I've seen the way you two behave to each other." The woman, Sumia, piped up. "Believe me; I get jealous the way he looks so lovingly at you."

Everyone in the foyer laughed at this except for Lucina. The poor girl just couldn't get a grasp on humor whatsoever, and now here she was awkwardly stuck in the middle of a bunch of people chortling at a joke she didn't understand. But she didn't stay confused for long, as her eyes lit up brighter than the sun when she noticed a bag beside Robin.

"Robin brought us something!" she cheered.

Chrom glanced at the bag before giving Robin an all-knowing look. "See? This is exactly what I'm talking about."

"Oh come on, we're going away on another mission to save not only Ylisse this time, but the rest of the world! Surely, I should give them gifts to make up for the fact that we'll be gone for Naga only knows how long again."

Chrom gave an annoyed sigh while his wife, in contrast, gave a small smile. Meanwhile, the girls couldn't contain their excitement.

"Okay, let's see what I have here." The white-haired man started digging through the bag. "For Cynthia, I have this lovely figurine." He pulled out a small wooden sculpture of a Pegasus, finely crafted and painted to perfection.

"EEEEEEE!" The younger princess squealed in delight as she accepted her present. "Thank you Robin! Thank you thank you thank you!"

Robin smiled. "You're very welcome Cynthia. And as for Lucina…" he pulled out a rolled up piece of cloth. "TADA!" he exclaimed as he unfurled it.

The parents and even Cynthia cringed at the sight of the gift, but Lucina however, was elated. There in Robin's hands was a hideous, brightly-colored dress. There was lots of green and purple and orange and all the colors looked like they were placed in the exact spot where they shouldn't be placed.

"It's beautiful. Thank you Robin." The older princess was given the horrible abomination that was considered a dress only by principle and started checking it out in full detail.

"It…sure is dear." Sumia lied through her teeth.

"Do you honestly think that dress looks good?" Chrom whispered to his best friend.

"Of course not." Robin murmured back. "But she likes it and it makes her happy. That's good enough for me."

Chrom sighed once more. "Where did I go wrong in raising her?" he half-lamented, half-joked.

"It's not entirely your fault." Sumia looked toward her husband. "We've been so busy with the war in Valm, we haven't had a chance to raise them ourselves or even watch them grow up." Her mood visibly deflated after pointing all of this out.

"You know Sumia, you don't have to come with us this time." suggested Robin. "You could stay here with your daughters and mother them like you always wanted."

She shook her head in response. "No. Grima's revival is looming on the horizon. We need every force we can get to stop him." She looks down at her children. "For their sake."

"Are you really gonna leave us again?" Cynthia looked up at the adults with sad wide eyes.

"I'm afraid so my pega-pony princess." Chrom affirmed using the nickname his youngest loves so much. After seeing her look so dejected, he decided to soften the blow by appealing to her love of heroics. "But we will be back once we save the world."

The littlest one brightened at this declaration. "Right, because you're the greatest heroes I know!"

"Well I'm not sure if I'm all that great." Robin half-joked. "But I can guarantee you your father and mother are the best of the best."

Lucina didn't catch onto the joke (as usual), and tried to convince him otherwise. "That's not true!" she declared. "You're just as much of an amazing hero as Father and Mother!"

The self-depreciator gave a small sad smile. "Well I may be as amazing as you say." he indulged in himself before going melancholy. "But heroes always get their happy ending. You're father and mother realized their feelings for each other, got married, and had two wonderful children that they get to go back to once we end all of this. As for me, I have nothing. No one's waiting for me when I get back."

Chrom and Sumia looked worriedly at their friend. He's been having unhealthy thoughts like this for quite some time, and they knew the main reason he kept coming over and spoiling and playing with their daughters was because he was lonely.

"Well…Tharja is always eager to see you." Sumia tried to cheer her friend up.

Lucina's mood soured at the mention of a certain dark mage. Unlike most of the princess's friend's parents, Tharja isn't all that nice. She would always act coldly to practically everyone around her and even conducted experiments on her own daughter, Noire. The only person Tharja seemed to like was Robin, which also made the princess unhappy. She was always stalking the kind man, invading his personal space, and making him generally uncomfortable, acting like his obsessed lover, despite already being married herself. Anyone who did that to her favorite grown-up (besides her parents of course) and acted so unfaithfully to their significant other earned the ire of the petite girl.

It also probably didn't help that Lucina…maybe…kind of has the tiniest, measliest, most insignificant crush on the thoughtful, good-looking, and wonderful Robin. But surely that was irrelevant, and not even worth mentioning.

"Hey, I may be lonely, but I also enjoy my privacy." Robin scoffed at Sumia's idea.

"Indeed." chuckled Chrom. "And you know the old saying. 'Don't stick_'"

"CHROM! Not in front of the children!" Sumia scolded harshly.

"Not only that," Robin began in a serious tone. "I don't want you talking bad about Tharja. She may be…odd, but she truly does mean well, and she's just as much of a valued Shepherd as the rest of us."

Lucina sighed. Of course Robin would defend Tharja no matter how much of a creep she is to him. He was just that nice, and she was still his friend.

"What about Lucy?" Cynthia chimed in, breaking Lucina out of her thoughts. "Why don't you marry her when you come back like all those heroes in Mommy's stories?"

The older princess's eyes went wide and her face went stark white. Her reaction, along with Cynthia's outburst, drew the adult's attention straight to the siblings.

'She wouldn't…' Lucina panicked in her thoughts. She nervously turned her head towards her sister. "Cy-…Cynthia…"

"She reeeeeeeeeeeeeally likes you." Cynthia had the biggest grin on her face.

"**I DO NOT! SH-SHUT UP!**" And just like that, Lucina's face went from bright white to deep crimson in an instant while Cynthia was laughing up a storm.

The adults looked at each other and all of them wore a smile. It was clear that the eldest daughter held affections for the family friend. After all, it's not unusual for a child to develop a small crush to an adult they're close to. And besides, they figured they could use this to make saying goodbye a little easier.

"Lucina." Robin started, making the girl finally stop yelling at her still chortling sibling. He got down on one knee so he could be at eye level with the small bluenette. "Is this true?"

Face still flushed, Lucina tried to stammer out an answer. "I-I…uh…I…"

She couldn't finish before Robin enveloped her in a warm comforting hug, making her lose her train of thought.

"I'll make sure I come back just for you. Alright?"

At this moment, the little Lucina couldn't care what was going on around her, or the inevitable teasing she was going to get from her sister. She returned the hug wholeheartedly, embracing the white-haired man who always made her feel special. There was still one question she had to ask though.

"Promise?"

"I promise."

* * *

_The New Present…_

*sigh*

Lucina was currently sitting at a table outside a café nearby the Ylissean docks. The Shepherds were busy preparing for the war against Valm, loading all the cargo and necessities onto the ships they received from Plegia. Lucina insisted on trying to help in any way she could, but after telling everyone of the horrific future she came from and was trying to prevent, Chrom wanted his daughter to try to ease off as much stress as she could after all she's been through. Lucina tried to assure her father that she had no need to rest and was perfectly capable with lending a hand, but her father would hear none of it.

So here she was, trying to relax with a nice cup of tea. Emphasis on _trying_, as there was still one thing that was working her up.

"That's the fourth ship fully loaded. Good work everyone! We're making great time!"

And that was that one thing. That voice came from none other than Robin, the Master Tactician of the Shepherds, who was overlooking all the work being done.

Lucina had one mission for why she went back in time; to prevent Grima's revival, the apocalyptic future, and the death of her parents (and those of her friends' as well). But when she finally got to properly introduce herself to Robin, all those feelings she had towards him during her childhood returned tenfold.

Yes, she did have a crush on the Tactician when she was younger, to the point where she would often fantasize spending her life with him (which she would secretly get him to help with whenever they play "house") and writing about how cute and handsome he is in her diary (which Cynthia must've read, because there could be no other plausible way she found out about her affections. She was very discreet with her constant blushing and goo-goo eyes). But that was just it, it was just a crush. She was supposed to get over it when she grew up, not have it blossom into something further.

Though to be fair, he did die along with the rest of the Shepherds in the future, so seeing him alive again is bound to cause some reaction. It also didn't help that he was younger and dreamier in this time as well.

"Oh Robin~" called out a seductive voice.

Broken out of her stupor, Lucina looked in the direction of Robin and found Tharja right next to him, causing the princess to narrow her eyes dangerously. Where did that woman even come from?

"GAH! THARJA!?" Robin's outburst showed that he also didn't see her even remotely nearby. "Uh…d-did you need something?"

"More like you need something." Tharja simply stated. "You've been working so hard all day; you must be tired and stressed out. How about you come with me so I can…relieve your pent-up tension."

"Uuuuuuh…" Robin was clearly uncomfortable with where this was heading, but still couldn't help but blush and work up a nervous sweat. "You're certainly much more forward than usual." he gulped. "Whatever happened to stalking me behind a bush or something?"

"That was getting me nowhere. So I decided to try out a new tactic." The dark mage then smirked bewitchingly. "You would know all about that wouldn't you?"

Robin could only reply with an uneasy chuckle.

Lucina dreaded what was going on in front of her. She thought that maybe by traveling close to Tharja, she could maybe find the goodness in the sorceress that Robin is always assuring she has. Though so far, she could find none, and the harpy just shamelessly throws herself at the tactician even more so than in the future (probably because she was still single now). As far as Lucina was concerned, Tharja was still the same cold, condescending succubus who would abuse her hexes and flaunt her possession of the evilest creation on par with Grima himself.

_**Breasts.**_

Lucina was convinced that breasts were the telltale signs of wickedness in a woman's heart, which temptresses then use to seduce weak-willed men. It makes perfect sense why Tharja's are so big then, because she was the epitome of meanness, and why the future Exalt herself could be mistaken for a cutting board, because she was innocent and pure. Thank Naga Lucina managed to figure it all out with completely rational thought unaffected by feelings of inadequacy and jealousy.

Still though, it seems very unfair that the malevolent have an advantage with attracting men than those who are benevolent. And while Lucina didn't like the idea of stooping to Tharja's level (and the fact that it's a little degrading to woman in general), maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to use body parts to try to get Robin to notice her. The question is which ones?

Her arms? She has seen some men use theirs to get women to notice them, maybe it can work the other way around. Unfortunately, it seems the main appeal of arms is bulging muscles, and while Lucina is fairly strong, her biceps don't have that much definition.

Maybe her hair? Her mother and sister always complimented her hair, saying it always looked beautiful. Alas, Tharja could easily compete with Lucina in that department as well with her own amazing and shiny hair. Curse that harlot and whatever luxurious, dark magic shampoo she uses!

Wait, what about her butt? Of course, it's perfect! Butts are just like breasts, only in a different spot and lacking nipples. And unlike her chest, Lucina's bottom is definitely developed. Surely she could attract Robin with her butt, right? Right!?

Oh who is she kidding!? No one likes butts!

"Yo, Lucy!" Called out a cheerful voice.

Planning out "Operation: Notice Me Robin" was put on hold once Lucina saw her mother and Aunt heading towards her.

"Oh, good afternoon Mother, Aunt Lissa." The swordswoman greeted politely.

"Hello honey." Sumia replied in kind.

"Sooooo~" Lissa grinned. "Whatcha doin'?"

"I'm simply following Father's orders to try to relax, so I decided to have some tea while I wait for our departure tomorrow." Lucina took a sip of said tea.

"WHAT!? That is so not fair!" The cleric shouted. "I'm Chrom's adorable sister and the Shepherds' go-to medic, and he hasn't once given me a break, even though it's a lot of work healing people! And what's the first assignment he gives to his daughter from the future?" She adopts her perfect Chrom imitation. "Lucina, I order you to take a load off. Dine on plenty of fine chocolates while you're at it. I'll have the servants bring around your royal bed so you may travel comfortably while they carry you on their shoulders."

Sumia laughed at Lissa's behavior, while Lucina, who still didn't understand the concept of humor, was part confused as neither she nor Chrom mentioned anything about chocolates or beds, part nervous that she may have offended her aunt, and part surprised at how spot-on Lissa's impression of her father was.

"If it makes you feel any better Aunt Lissa, I would rather be helping out with loading the supplies. Not doing anything makes me feel like a burden."

"You just need some company dearie." assured Sumia. "Good thing as Queen of Ylisse, I can use my royal authority to have Lissa and I join you."

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Lissa cheered as she and the Queen sat down with Lucina. "And best part of all, we get front row seats to the show!" She motioned towards Robin and Tharja, at which Lucina's frustration returned.

The dark mage was still trying to flirt with Robin. She was nothing if not persistent if she was still going at it after all this time, but it seems her attempts came off too creepy to have any positive effect. She was however, using her arms to push up and frame her dastardly bosoms to make them more noticeable, which was definitely making the tactician blush.

Now Lucina wasn't the best at understanding social norms and cues (or even barely mediocre at it), but even she didn't want to make a scene. At least not without making sure it was a scene in the first place. "Shouldn't we try to stop her?"

"No, no, it's fine!" Lissa snickered. "Stuff like this happens between these two all the time."

"WHAT!? ALL THE TIME!?"

"It's true." Sumia confirmed, also clearly enjoying the display. "Tharja will come up with some zany scheme to try to get Robin to love her at least once a week. They never work, but Robin is so kind-hearted, that he can't outright reject her and ends up in her clutches much longer than necessary. Sometimes he's just too nice for his own good."

"Not unlike a certain niece of mine." Lissa gave an all-knowing smirk to the aforementioned niece. The remark and expression only served to confuse Lucina.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked.

"Lucina," Sumia gave her daughter a sympathetic smile. "When are you going to tell Robin you have feelings for him?"

A dam might as well have broken with lava bursting inside Lucina's head, because that's how quick her face was burning.

"**WHAT!?**" the future Exalt shrieked. It was a miracle no attention was attracted to them. "I DO NOT HAVE FEELINGS FOR ROBIN!"

"Riiiiiiiiiiiiight~" Lissa snarked, still with that same smirk on her face.

"See Mother!? Aunt Lissa understands!"

"That was sarcasm Luce." The blonde explained. "You've only been with us for two days, and half the time I see you, you're just admiring Robin with hearts in your eyes."

"Th-That's not true!" Lucina denied unconvincingly. "I'll have you know that I was simply…" She tried to think of an alibi, which surprisingly didn't take long. "Admiring Father. He and Robin just happen to be around each other very often. And I can assure you, my eyes were in no way heart-shaped."

"A convenient excuse." The Pegasus rider noted out loud. There was some truth about Chrom and Robin always being around each other. It was enough to make a loving wife jealous. Or at least it would if Sumia didn't like to…entertain some fantasies involving her husband and his best friend (and sometimes a certain brown-haired servant).

"Okay, then why is the other half the time I see you, you're just glaring at Tharja whenever she's within five feet of Robin?" Lissa asked, already knowing the answer.

"Well_"

"Answer: You're super jealous and see her as your love rival."

"NOOO!" The bluenette insisted. "I'm just…" She paused to think of another false excuse. "Worried that she might try to force Robin into an unreciprocated marriage. Not only would it make him unhappy, but it could drastically change the future!"

"So that means they're not married to each other in the future?" questioned Sumia.

"Well…no." admitted Lucina. "Robin remained unwedded, while Tharja was married to_"

"Whoa whoa whoa, hold on!" Lissa interrupted. "Robin never married!?"

"Yes." Lucina confirmed. "In fact, I remember when I was a child, I overheard Father and Mother talking about how worried they were for him, and that he was always spending time with me to cope with his loneliness."

Lucina started to feel sympathy for her best friend/not-crush in the future. Unfortunately for her, she noticed her mother and aunt both had sly smiles when she mentioned all of this.

Realizing what they're thinking, Lucina tried to dissuade them "I-it's not what you think!"

Clearly not the most convincing attempt.

"It's okay sweetie." said Sumia. "You have my approval. He is quite a catch after all."

"Mother!"

"This is so adorable!" Lissa squealed." You're like a lovesick puppy!"

"I am not_ wait, puppies can get lovesick?"

"It's just an expression Lucina." Her mother explained. "We should probably try to make sure you get a better grasp on those."

"Let's just tackle one problem at a time here." decided Lissa. "Starting with Lucina's love life."

"I DO NOT LOVE ROBIN!" Lucina shouted. She then started to look dejected. "And even if I did, it would never work. I come from the future, and once the fell dragon has been slain, I will have to return to my time without him. Not to mention that a relationship with him will undoubtedly alter the timeline. We can never be together."

"Okay, a) you came back to the past to change the future in the first place. Why bother preserving it if you're just gonna mix it up anyways?"

"Time is very delicate. Even the minorest variation in events can cause a massively different future, and there's usually no telling if it's for the best." Lucina explained. "The only reason I traveled back to prevent Grima's resurrection is because it would undoubtedly be for the best."

"And making sure Robin stays lonely and single is also for the best?" brought up Sumia.

Lucina bit her lower lip. "Alright, I suppose we could help Robin in that regard. As long as it's someone who wasn't married before and will truly make Robin happy. A-and as long as it's not me, for I do not love him!"

"Uh huh, yeah, sure you don't." Lissa was clearly unconvinced. "And b) you are _not _entering our lives just to leave us! You may have just joined us, but already we can't imagine life without you! You're family, and the Shepherds don't let go of family that easily, y'know."

"Aunt Lissa…" Lucina was truly touched by what she just heard.

"And most importantly, we haven't done any Auntie and Niece bonding time!" There was a cheeky grin on the childlike cleric's face. "We need to go shopping, play pranks on Robin, and try out this new thing I came up with where all us girls stay up all night hanging out and sleeping over at the palace!"

Sumia quirked her eyebrow at her sister-in-law. "You do know you already have a niece to do all that stuff with, right?"

"Yeah, but I don't wanna wait 17 years before she's old enough. I wanna bond now!"

Lucina couldn't help but smile. "Don't worry Aunt Lissa, I'd be happy to go shopping with you, and even do this 'sleepover' idea of yours." She will not, however, pull any pranks on anyone, no matter how harmless they might be. Especially not to someone as sweet as Robin. "I've always dreamed of such mundane pleasures. However, that doesn't change the fact that I must still leave in the end."

"How exactly do you even plan to go back to the future anyway?"

"I assume that Naga could use the same power that sent me back in time in reverse."

"Assume?" questioned the Queen. "You mean you're putting all your chances to go back based on an assumption?"

The swordswoman had now realized how flawed her planning was. "Uuuuuuuuuuuuuh…"

"Didn't think this through did you?" Lissa smirked.

"In my defense, we were panicking and desperate to find a way to fix everything!" Lucina argued, clearly embarrassed. "We were too distraught to think rationally!" She guzzled the rest of her tea out of sheer nervousness.

"Well now you have no excuse to leave. So now you can freely marry Robin and have babies ever after!"

Lucina was ready to retort when a loud yell interrupted their conversation.

"**OH NAGA! THARJA PLEASE GET OFF OF ME!**"

All three women turned to the direction of the sound and saw a sight that made something inside Lucina snap. Right there, Tharja was hugging a tomato-faced Robin (which to Lucina, might as well have been the equivalent to dry humping) and pressing her large despicable mounds up against his chest. Robin was clearly uncomfortable, and was awkwardly trying his best not to touch the dark mage in any way possible.

"HAHAHAHAHA!" Lissa cackled. "See what I mean Lucina? I swear, Robin has the best expressions!" Her smile momentarily faded when she practically saw the hostile aura around her niece. It soon came back when she realized she could use this to her advantage. "So how are you gonna get back your man?"

There were many feelings Lucina was experiencing at the moment. Jealousy, territorial, and a ferocity that made her blood boil hotter than the magma at the world's core. And all because that _**witch**_ had the gall to do a completely acceptable public display of affection towards the noble and gallant Robin. This is unacceptable!

"Uh, Lucina…" her mother fearfully tried to get her attention. Lucina's only response was to crush the teacup in her hand to pieces and storm over to the sickening display before her.

"She's Chrom's daughter alright." Lissa calmly noted.

By the time Lucina got over to the sickening display, she somehow managed to calm herself from a walking raging inferno to good ol' Lucy with a normal angry expression. She coughed violently into her hand to get the two Shepherds' attention.

Robin and Tharja looked at the princess with different expressions. The former looked surprised and strangely even more worried, while the latter ditched her flirty look for an annoyed one.

"What do you want?" Tharja asked coldly.

Lucina opened her mouth to protest, but realized a painful fact. She came to them with no strategy whatsoever. She couldn't just tell Tharja that she couldn't seduce Robin without justification. All traces of anger vanished from her face, and signs of panic began to show.

"Lucina, are you alright?" Robin asked, concerned about how his best friend's daughter was behaving.

"Yes! Y-yes I am!" lied Lucina. "It's just that…" She struggled to look for an excuse, which fortunately didn't take long as she remembered a certain little detail. "I wanted to inform you that the fifth ship is fully loaded."

Robin's blush finally subsided thanks to finally remembering what he was supposed to be doing. "Oh, thank you Lucina." He turned to Tharja. "I'm sorry Tharja, but as you can see, I'm really busy overlooking everything." He somehow managed to slip out from the seductress's grasp and stood next to Lucina.

Tharja was clearly unamused at what just transpired, but like Lucina, she knew better than to make a scene in public. "Fine. I'll let you go…this time." She gave one final glare to the future child (who returned it in full) and took her leave.

Robin let out a sigh. "Be honest Lucina. Is the fifth ship _really_ fully loaded?"

Lucina began to look ashamed. "I…do not know for sure. I apologize."

Robin gave a kind smile in return. "It's alright. I really appreciate you helping me out there. That more than makes up for it."

A soft blush appears on the bluenette's cheeks. "Thank you Robin, but if you don't mind, I would like to really pay you back by helping you overlook the loading process."

"Aren't you supposed to be taking it easy under direct orders from your father?" The whitehead smirked.

Lucina shyly looked away and twiddled her fingers. "Well yes, but I feel Father is being irrational. N-not that I don't respect his decision, but_"

Robin chuckled at her cute behavior. "Don't worry. Chrom's just being a little overprotective because he cares that much. Besides, I'd rather have an extra set of eyes anyway. If your father gives you a hard time, I'll take the fall. Dealing with Chrom is easier than dealing with Tharja any day."

The two of them smiled at each other, both secretly enjoying gazing at a pretty face. They might've stayed like that forever if Sumia's voice hadn't called out to them.

"See Lucina? It can work out."

The not-couple looked at the two royal women seeming very pleased at what they witnessed.

"And what have you two been doing?" Robin smirked as he headed over with Lucina following.

"Nothing~" sang Lissa. "Just enjoying the show."

Robin frowned after hearing that. "You mean you just watched Tharja go all…Tharja on me for 10 minutes, and you just sat there!?"

"Hey, we're royalty! We shouldn't be expected to do anything! Besides, who wants to deal with Tharja?"

"I'll admit, sometimes I wonder why she's even in the Shepherds." Sumia confessed.

"Hey now, I don't want anyone talking like that about Tharja." Robin was getting serious now. "She's a Shepherd just like any of us. Hell, she was even against Gangrel's rule."

"Robin, at some point, _every_ Plegian was against Gangrel's rule." Lissa pointed out.

"But she defected _before_ Emmeryn sacrificed herself and made the Plegians morale waver. Not only that, what was the first thing she did when she joined thee Shepherds?"

"She…" Sumia looked down in shame. "Blasted a bunch of archers with dark magic that were aiming for me and my darling Pegasus."

"Right! So I don't want to hear any more bad things about her from now on. No rumors about her being a spy, no conspiracies that she's a fallen angel who's just taking up our space, I want none of it! She's as important as anyone else here."

Lucina let out a sad sigh. Despite her trying to force herself onto him, Robin still defended Tharja no matter what had just occurred. Granted, she could at least finally give the sorceress some benefit of the doubt, as she never knew beforehand that she saved her mother.

"Hey what's all that broken porcelain on the ground?" asked Robin.

Lucina looked at said porcelain and gasped when she realized what it was. "Oh no, the teacup!" Robin raised an eyebrow. "I broke it by accident. I better clean it up and pay for the damages." She bent over to pick up the pieces.

As she was doing this, Robin stared at her with curious intent. This didn't go unnoticed by Lissa, and with the cheekiest grin on her face, she lifted up her niece's cape, giving Robin a view that made him his cheeks go red and his mind to fizzle out for a moment.

"What the_" Lucina turned around after she felt her cape being manipulated. "Aunt Lissa?"

"It wasn't me! It was the wind, I swear!"

Lucina looked unconvinced, and rightfully so. However, Robin's blushing face got her attention. "Robin, are you alright?"

"Y-y-yeah! Of course I am! J-just…when you're done here, come over to me and we can get to work. We still got a buttload of supplies_ I-I-I M-MEAN A LOT OF SUPPLIES TO LOAD ON THE SHIPS!" He hurriedly walked away, leaving Lucina confused, and her mother and aunt giggling.

"Don't worry about the cup dear." assured Sumia. "I'll take care of it. You go on and help Robin."

"And remember Lucy," Lissa began to speak. "Just because you lack 'certain assets' doesn't mean you don't have others to use to your advantage." She winked and entered another giggling fit with Sumia.

Lucina didn't know what they were chuckling about, but that doesn't matter right now. She can now finally hang out with Robin.

* * *

**I'm sorry. This was a terrible, terrible idea.**

**It started out with a sickeningly sweet prologue that made me puke cotton candy, then we got a boring slice of life segment peppered with only the one real dirty joke to compensate. This is totally gonna ruin all my internet street cred that I pretend I have! I better fix it by finally getting to work on that original story I wanted to write. *starts writing, only to find out I'm just making another "Fire Emblem: Awakening" fic.***

**FUCK! Screw this, I'm gonna go kill angels with my chainsaw feet in "Bayonetta 2"! That'll sate my anger and blood lust for a bit. **


	2. High Seas, High Tension

**Chapter 2 – High Seas, High Tension**

**Hi everybody! So wow, where to start? So as I mentioned in the last chapter, part of the reason I made this was to test out a theory, which was proven to be more accurate than I could possibly imagine...much to my disappointment (I won't bore you with the details).**

**I also said I would make this a full-fledged series if this became popular enough. And since this easily became my most popular fic...yeah... If I was smart, I would drop all my other projects and work solely on this since this is clearly what all you people care about (as the bombing of _Villaintine's Day_ painfully showed me). But unfortunately, I'm a known dumbass, so I'm still gonna work on other stuff, like more _Honest Trailers_ parodies and such, despite meaning it would slow down updates for this. But hey, I try to be nice (and have various success with that), so for my good deed for the month, I worked on this before starting my original story and my planned FE:A fic that I wanted to do first just for you people.**

**My only problem is, I have zero idea where to go with this story! Maybe I should've thought this out more than "not at all". So for now, I think I can belt out a few more jokes and ideas and keep that trend going for a while until I come up with a proper plan (or until you people get tired with this shit). That being said, I could use your guys' advice for something. I have no idea what to do for first generation pairings. Yes this is a big deal, I want to have the other future kids show up later, and I'm going to need to know who their fathers are for specific interactions and for what their hair colors will be (don't lie, that was at least a factor for why you did at least _some_ of your pairings). So what should I do? Should I go for the canon pairings that's implied in the game's coding (yes, this is a thing. Go look it up and be stupefied how the implied canon pairings most likely do not match up to most of your own). Should I just pander again and go for what the pairings fanon seems to agree on? Should I do some combination of the two? Throw me a bone here, please!**

**Okay before I shut up, there's at least one more thing I want to talk about, even though it's kind of old news by now. Did you guys hear that in _Pokkén_ _Tournament_, there's a stage called "Chrom Town"!? That's the best thing ever! That makes me think Chrom got so salty over the _Smash Bros._ jokes, that he built his own town where he abolished cock-fighting so he could have his own fighting tournament! Then I imagine that he's standing on a building somewhere in the background where he's watching the Pokémon fight for his entertainment. You know what, that's canon now! That is now the official backstory of _Pokkén Tournament_! Hell, that would be a hilarious fanfic idea that I would TOTALLY read!**

**Speaking of hype fighting games, they're FINALLY making a new _Dissidia_ game! _Final Fantasy_ and I have a strained relationship, but I freaking LOVE _Dissidia_! Easily the second best fighting game series, only beaten out by _Smash Bros._**

**Oh right, the story. On with the show!**

**Rating: T for violence and strong language.**

* * *

All the ships were now finally fully loaded. Every member of the Shepherds and the Ylissean army was onboard and accounted for. It was now time to set sail and take the battle to Valm. Cruising across the ocean, the foremost ship's passengers (who else but the Shepherds) were taking in this experience.

"Ah, take it all in! Breathtaking." Robin merrily stated, staring at the scene beyond the ship's railing. "The blue skies, the calm seas. I could get used to this."

"I know right?" agreed Lissa. "It's so beautiful. It almost makes me forget we're doing this in the first place to go to another war."

"Please don't talk about that." Sumia requested. "This is my first sea voyage, and I've been enjoying it so far."

"You're right." apologized Lissa. "I wouldn't want to ruin my first time either."

"Really? I would've thought the princess of Ylisse would've taken many royal cruises." teased Robin.

"Yeah well Ylisse didn't have any ships to take cruises on." Lissa smirked. "Besides, just because we're royalty doesn't mean we do nothing besides lazing around in luxury."

"But you would like to, wouldn't you?"

"Ha ha. Chrom back me up here." No response came. "Chrom?"

A low groan came from the other side of the ship. The three Shepherds turned around and saw their leader hunched over the railing with Lucina rubbing his back.

"Father, are you going to be alright?" Lucina asked overly worried.

"Urk…I'll be fine Lucina." Chrom tried to reassure, although the seasickness in his voice betrayed him. "It's my first time on a vessel, and well— *gasp*…I can say for certain now that I don't fancy myself as a sea captain." He felt something rise up in his throat. "Oh Naga!"

At that moment, Chrom started blowing chunks over the railing, causing everyone to cringe in disgust.

"Gross gross gross gross gross gross gross gross!" Lissa cried out.

"I won't be kissing that mouth anytime soon." said Sumia.

"Our leader and Exalt ladies and gentlemen." snarked Robin.

"Ugh…laughing at said leader and Exalt's suffering. Our tactician ladies and gentlemen." Chrom fired back. He did sound better though. "Seriously, how can you people enjoy this?"

"Are you kidding me? Being on here just gives me a sense of nostalgia of all those times I played pirates as a kid."

Chrom looked at his best friend incredulously. "You have amnesia. How would you remember your childhood?"

"Well yeah, but come on. What little boy didn't play pirates while growing up?"

"Okay you got me. I too played pirates when I was young." The Exalt admitted. He and Robin shared a good chuckle.

Lucina however frowned at the laughing men. "How could you do that!?" Her outburst got them to quiet down and look at her to see what was wrong. "Why would noble heroes such as yourselves ever want to be such despicable lawless criminals such as pirates!? I thought you were better than that Father!"

Chrom smiled when he realized this was just a simple misunderstanding. "Relax Lucina. We were only pretending to be pirates for fun."

"Besides, when you're that young, you don't know about all the pillaging and rape." Robin added. "You mainly just did it because of the treasure hunts and cool hats."

Lucina's stance on the matter did not waver. "You're still being thieves. Robbing people of their belongings."

"Well, we were…good pirates." The tactician made up on the spot.

"Good pirates?" Lucina questioned.

"Yeah you know, good pirates. The ones that beat up the evil pirates and take back all the treasures they stole and return it to all the innocent folk."

The future Exalt was skeptical. "I doubt there are any pirates with such morals."

"Okay you want to know the truth? The truth is: it's a man's romance to be a pirate." Robin explained.

That definitely caught Lucina's attention. "A man's romance!?" she gasped. Her head was flooded with thoughts about what this could mean.

Do men really love pirates in "that way"? She of course wouldn't stoop so low as becoming a pirate herself, but if she dressed up as one, would that get Robin to take an interest in her? Could that be the way to win his heart?

What was she thinking!? He clearly meant something else by it entirely. She's here to save the future, not chase some silly childhood crush. Even if it was Robin, a delightful altruistic man that any woman would pray to be with. She had priorities darn it! Thwart Grima's revival, save the future, protect her father, locate her friends, never give her mother and aunt the satisfaction that she's enamored with Robin, wear a bandana on her head to see if Robin will like it…

Wait…something's wrong with this list of priorities.

"Yeah." came Robin's response. "Boys love to play pirates. Just like girls love to have tea parties. That about right girls?" He looked to Lissa and Sumia for confirmation.

Both women looked a little on edge when they were asked the question. "Weeeell…" they both said.

* * *

_Flashback…_

A very young Lissa and Sumia stood across from each other with a tea party table between them. Both had their respective best friends by their side. Lissa had the snooty Maribelle, and Sumia had the dependable Cordelia. The whole scene gave off a shady vibe. Or as shady as a scene involving children whose ages weren't even in the double-digits could get.

"Sooo…" the little Lissa began. "You got the goods?"

"Of course we do." assured the small Sumia. "We run a legitimate business. You have our money?"

"Indeed we do." the mini Maribelle stated. "Shall we proceed with the deal?"

"Show us the money." the tiny Cordelia demanded.

"Show us the goods." Lissa fired back.

"Fine. The baby wants its bottle I get it." Sumia sighed. "Fluffy, bring in the tea!" She looked to a teddy bear sitting in a small chair next to her. In its lap was a box of regular teabags, which Sumia took from the bear and slid it across the table to her "customers".

"Strawberry gingerbread Darjeeling." she explained. "The finest tea in all of Rosanne."

Maribelle opened the box, pulled out a bag, and took a heavy whiff of it. "Oh yes. This is the real deal."

"Don't forget about our payment." Cordelia reminded.

"We didn't." Lissa reassured. "Mr. Snugglebunny, the money!" She turned to a stuffed rabbit in a chair with a bag labeled "Money" on it. She grabbed the bag and tossed it to the other side of the table.

Peering inside, Sumia could see many gold coins inside the bag. "Pleasure doing business with you." she complimented, satisfied with what she got and was prepared to end this transaction.

"Hold on a minute." Cordelia stopped her friend. She took a coin out of the bag and unwrapped it, revealing it to be chocolate. She then took a bite out of it. "Dark chocolate." she venomously hissed.

Sumia glared daggers at her "clients". "We said five hundred milk chocolate coins! Not this dark icky crud!"

"Well here's the thing about that." the petite princess calmly began to explain. "CHEESE IT!" Maribelle grabbed the box while Lissa flipped the table. The two blondes scattered behind a pillow fort at one end of the room.

"You got the tomes?" Lissa inquired to her partner.

"I have them right here." Maribelle picked up two children's books and handed one to Lissa.

"Alright. Let's waste these mother suckers!"

They peeked out from behind their fort with outstretched hands screaming "Pew! Pew! Pew!"

Sumia and Cordelia were now using the flipped table as a pretend makeshift cover and did the same, only they were shouting "Bzzt! Bzzt! Bzzt!"

"Pew! Pew! Pew!"

"Bzzt! Bzzt! Bzzt!"

_End Flashback…_

* * *

"Something like that." Lissa practically lied.

"So did you play any games when you were a child Sweetie?" Sumia asked her daughter, trying to shift the focus off of them.

"Well, my friends and I would usually pretend we were part of a heroes' faction called 'the Justice Cabal'." Lucina smiled fondly in remembrance of her childhood.

"Ah, so you were like the next generation of Shepherds." Chrom proudly noted.

"Essentially." Lucina let the nostalgia wash over her. "We would always play in the fields, pretending to perform acts of righteousness and defeating evil villains. We even came up with character identities for ourselves. There was Drake the Dragon Knight, Beano the Barbarian Queen—"

"Oh so pirates can't be good guys, but a barbarian is eligible to be a hero?" Robin pointed out with a smirk.

Chrom's daughter realized what he was getting at. "Sh-she wasn't my character. Besides, the one who came up with her was a good person." She then remembered that Beano was her sister's character. "Usually."

"So what was your character then?" asked Chrom.

Lucina had a proud smile on her face. "I was Lucina the Swordswoman."

An awkward silence occurred after she said that, causing her to wonder if there was a problem.

"You weren't the most creative child were you?" remarked Lissa.

"I was very creative!" Lucina attempted to defend herself.

"I'm…sure you were." Chrom said, trying to sound as sincere as possible. "And I couldn't be happier to meet Lucina the Swordswoman herself."

That touched Lucina greatly. It was always a treasure to be reunited with her loving father, one of the very figures in her life that she idolized.

"However, as much as I hate to make you dredge up painful memories, now's a good time to get down to business." the Exalt suggested.

"I understand." sighed the swordswoman. She really wanted to keep reminiscing about the good times in her past, but she knew she had to warn these people about the events to come. "Where would you like me to start?"

"Actually, I was wondering why you didn't stay with us after you stopped Emm's assassination."

"I felt I had no other choice." Lucina confessed. "I could not risk altering history any more than necessary. I sought only to divert events that directly led to Grima's return. So I believed it best to protect you from afar."

"That doesn't seem like the best solution." spoke up Robin.

"Huh?"

"No offense Lucina, but what if Chrom was in peril and you were too far away to help him because you kept your distance? You just barely managed to save him from that Risen in the nick of time. Not only that, but if you had joined us earlier, you could've warned us about all of this sooner."

"I…" Lucina was at a loss for words. Robin has once again proven why he's the master tactician by pointing out all the flaws in her planning.

"_Really_ didn't think this through did you?" Lissa jested.

Despite her aunt's intention to lighten the mood, it just made Lucina feel even more ashamed. "Maybe you're right." she responded directly to Robin's statement. "And maybe if I had, Aunt Emmeryn would still be with us today."

"Don't think like that. You did what you could." Chrom reassured. He walked over to his daughter and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Just know that from now on, you don't have to do this alone. You're part of the Shepherds now, which means that you have friends and allies you can rely on."

"He's right." Robin joined in "We're in this together. As long as we've got each other's back, the fell dragon won't succeed a second time." Lissa and Sumia both gave a confident nod to show that they'll be there for the future child as well.

It took all of Lucina's willpower to not let a single teardrop fall. She knows that they wouldn't blame her if she did so after everything she's been through, but their resolve and companionship is enough to remind her of what she originally lost. Oh how she missed these people dearly.

"Everyone, thank you."

"You can thank us by telling us what happens in the future." said Lissa. "Like do I ever get married? Do I have any children? What's the latest fashion in the future?"

"Whoa whoa, hold on there sis!" Chrom chuckled. "Do you really want spoilers to something like marriage and a family?"

"Hey, if it's gonna happen, might as well speed up the process." She nonchalantly shrugged. "But fine, there is a serious question I want to ask. What would've happened if you hadn't stopped those guys who tried to kill Chrom in the gardens?"

"He would have been gravely wounded." Lucina answered. "And those wounds would have played a part in the tragedies to come."

"Whoa! Good thing you changed things huh? Maybe we can now keep him alive during this war."

"Actually, Father did not perish until after this war." Lucina corrected.

Everyone was taken aback by this new revelation. "Wait, you're saying Chrom _survived_ this war!?" exclaimed Sumia.

"Yyyyeeeeeesss…?" her daughter hesitantly confirmed, not sure why they were behaving this way.

"_This war_." Robin restated. "As in the one we're about to partake in. Where we're heavily outnumbered by at least 10-to-1 with some of the most highly trained soldiers in any military."

"And led by Walhart the Conqueror." added in Lissa. "Who's said to have a battle prowess beyond human capacity, that he's rumored to be a _demon_."

"And you're telling us that I somehow managed to live through all of that while badly wounded?" Chrom finished off.

Lucina finally understood the big picture, and with pride for her father, proclaimed "That's my father for you."

The Shepherds from the present were stunned for a good while before Robin broke the silence.

"I have to say Chrom, that's kind of badass of you."

"What, did you expect any less?" the blue-haired man indulged in himself.

However, a concerning thought suddenly popped in his head. "But if that is the case, do you know…how I die?"

Lucina has been dreading this moment. "I have heard rumors. I was told you fell in a great battle, fought to sway your destiny. …And then you were murdered— betrayed by your closest ally."

Suddenly at that instant, Robin felt a sharp pain shoot straight through his brain. He clutched his head in agony. "Nngh! Aah…"

"Robin? What is it?" Chrom asked. They were all worried for their friend, but none more so than Lucina.

"M-my head…I don't…" the tactician started to mutter.

Before he could finish, Lucina rushed to him in the blink of an eye and grasped both of his hands. "ROBIN!" She began to ask him questions at a mile a minute. "Are you okay!? Are you hurt!? Is there anything I can do to help!? Do you need any medicine!? What about some water!? Should I get Aunt Lissa to heal you!?"

The pain shown on Robin's face was quickly replaced with confusion at Lucina's behavior. "Uuuh…I'm fine now Lucina." he assured the girl. "You don't have to worry about me."

Realizing that everyone was staring at her, the bluenette hurried back to where she was originally standing. She cleared her throat while trying (and failing) to force down her blush, acting as if nothing happened. Robin and Chrom gave her a puzzled look, while Lissa and Sumia giggled at what just occurred.

"Anyways," Lucina continued from where she left off. "After your death and the return of the fell dragon, I adopted the name of the Hero-King to inspire morale not just in the people, but in myself as well. But I need that no longer. I choose to fight as Lucina now. The name that reminds me of the strength in the man and woman who chose it."

"A strength shared by the woman who bears it." the Exalt beamed. "I think that's enough information for now. If we need to know anything else, I'll be sure to ask."

"So what shall we do until we reach ashore?" Lucina inquired.

"Whatever you want to do." Chrom offered. "Valm is a long ways away, and these ships only go so fast. We might as well make the most of this before we have to engage in endless battle."

"But…I'm not sure what I want to do until then." his daughter confessed.

"Don't worry about it Lucina." Robin interjected. "One thing you should know about the Shepherds, is that we can't go five seconds without something happening."

As if on cue, the cabin door of the ship slammed open, claiming the attention of not only the group of five, but that of the other Shepherds on deck as well.

"Nyahahaha!" came the maniacal laughter from the young man in the doorway. It belonged to none other than Henry, the other newest recruit alongside Lucina. "You guys'll never believe what I just did!"

"You found a way to make a corpse keep bleeding even after it's long dead?" guessed Gaius.

"I wish. Nope, I just completed my latest and greatest creation! Behold!" Henry pulled out a medium sized orb made out of a bronzish-gold refined metal with many strange engravings and a dark purple gem embedded on top.

"Well golly! That sure is mighty perdy!" chirped Donnel. "But uh, what is it?"

"It's a Translator Orb. Or as I like to call it, the Tanslatorb." proclaimed Henry.

"Oh great. Its name is a pun. That's always fun." said Sully, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

Ignoring the mocking comment, the smiling dark mage continued discussing his invention. "It's supposed to translate any complicated-sounding phrase spoken out loud and dumb it down so everyone else can understand."

Miriel brought her head in close to the Translatorb in order to better examine it. "Fascinating." She adjusted her glasses. "You're saying this device can hear and record every voice in its vicinity and then decode all of it to a form of verbal communication most comprehended by the majority of common folk. This is a most fruitful innovation. This could no doubt help eliminate language barriers between cultures and bring people of diverse societies closer together."

"Huh, I guess it could help with that. Neato." Henry began injecting magic into the orb to power it up. "I just made this so Vaike wouldn't struggle so much talking to you."

"Hey! It's not like Teach is the only one having a hard time understanding her!" the buff shirtless fighter interjected. "It wouldn't hurt to talk like a normal person, you know Miriel?"

"Perhaps if you ceased your incessant whining and made an attempt to expand your vocabulary once in a blue moon, our endeavors at interacting with one another would not be so trifling."

At that moment, the Translatorb was powered up, turned on, and made its first translation.

"_Translation: Quit your bitching and read a fucking dictionary!"_

An awkward silence permeated the entire deck of the ship after what everyone just heard. Sure it was amazing that it actually worked, but…

"Did you put a salty sailor with Tourette's in that thing? Why the hell does it swear so much?" Sully pointed out.

Henry was unfazed by all of this and continued to grin. "Nyahahaha! I don't know. I needed a brain to scan so I could have the Translatorb simplify all speech patterns into its own. So I just found a random guy who would let me scan his for a bag of chips. I guess he liked to curse a lot."

"Well that's no good. Butch already fills the position for 'resident potty mouth'." Gaius joked.

"Up yours Chuckles." Sully shot back.

"The thief does have a point however." a now grown up Maribelle spoke up. "We cannot have such vulgar words thrown around willy-nilly. It is unacceptable, and I refuse to be around such language at any time."

"_Translation: Fuck this shit!"_

"What the—!?"

"Was that really necessary to translate?" questioned Stahl. "It wasn't that hard to understand."

"Oh that's because I made sure it would translate everything as long as I'm sure Vaike wouldn't understand it." explained Henry.

That irritated Vaike. "Oh so you think I'm that dumb, huh? Well guess what? The next time it's Vaike time and I forget my axe, I'll make sure to use you as a battering ram. What does your smartass thingamabob have to say about that?"

"_Translation: Talk shit, get hit!"_

An exasperated sigh came from the most beautiful woman— er…man in the world. "I hate to use her name in vain, but for the love of Naga, please turn that thing off!" begged Libra.

"No, no, keep it!" guffawed Flavia. "Finally, someone who tells it like it is. I was really starting to tire of all this polite talk."

"I know, right?" Henry happily agreed.

Anna looked disappointed at the Translatorb. 'And here I thought I could mass produce these for a nice profit.' she thought sadly, before quickly brightening her demeanor. 'Oh who am I kidding? There's bound to be some whack-jobs who'll want them like this!'

All these Shepherds and more continued to bicker and the Translatorb kept swearing up a storm. As all this was happening, the original group of five watched all of this in bewilderment.

"Are the Shepherds…always this…eccentric?" Lucina asked.

"We sure are." Robin confirmed from behind. He put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Welcome to the family."

Lucina looked to the tactician with a smile on her face. A family. It's been so long since she could say she had one. But now, she was part of one again. For the first time since Grima's revival in her time, she could finally say she was happy. And she will fight for family till the bitter end, no matter the cost.

* * *

_That Night…_

Lucina tossed and turned in her hammock. She couldn't understand why, but the girl just couldn't seem to fall asleep. Maybe she was just shaken from discussing about all those terrible events from her future. Lucina couldn't tell for sure. Giving up for now, she decided that she could use some fresh air and went up to the deck of the ship.

What she didn't expect however, was that there was another person there already. Especially not a certain right-hand man of her father's leaning forward on the ship's railing and looking out towards the horizon.

"Robin?" the future princess said aloud, catching the man's attention.

"Oh, Lucina? What are you doing up here this late?"

"I couldn't sleep." she answered simply.

"You too, huh?" Robin gave Lucina a small smile. He went back to looking at the skyline. "Yeah, there's been a lot on my mind lately, so I figured I get some fresh air. I'm guessing the same goes for you?"

It's always amazing how well he knew her. Granted, he was also like this back in her time, but he knew the bluenette for years by then. Here, Robin has only known this woman for three days, and already he's reading her thoughts.

"You would be right in your assumption." Lucina confirmed. "Do you mind if I join you?"

Robin put on a cheeky smile. "I'd be insulted if you didn't."

Well she certainly wouldn't want to do that to him. And she most certainly wouldn't want to pass up any opportunity to be near Robin. Alone. In a romantic setting. She took a spot next to him and leaned on the railing to gaze at the scene before her.

"Beautiful isn't it?" Robin said, trying to start a conversation. "Here I was this morning, thinking the view on this ship couldn't get any better. But out here at night, seeing all the stars in the sky and their light reflecting in the water, boy am I sure eating my words."

"I couldn't agree more." Lucina concurred. "Although that may be due to my bias towards the stars. In the future, after seeing so much death and destruction, I could only really find solace in the night sky."

"There never seems to be anything to look forward to in the future."

"There really isn't. That's why I went back in time. So I could set everything right and bring us a future where everyone lives." She tore her eyes from the horizon to look at the man beside her. "And now that I have all of you, I feel that goal can now be achieved."

"I'm glad you're finally realizing that." Robin said, returning her gaze. "It's important not to bog yourself down with negative emotions." He tried to speak as normal as possible, but there was something off about his tone.

This did not go unnoticed by Lucina. "You say that, yet you don't sound like you're in the best of moods yourself."

"That noticeable, huh?"

Lucina eased herself off the railing. "Robin, is there something wrong?"

"I did say there's been a lot on my mind didn't I?" He smirked, trying to make light of his situation. Even if Lucina did understand humor, she still wouldn't be laughing due to how worried she was for the tactician now.

Realizing his attempt fell flat, Robin bashfully turned his head away. "Sorry. Something's been bugging me all day."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Lucina asked, concern evident in her voice.

"Actually, you're the only one I can talk to about this." confessed Robin.

That put Lucina on high alert. What could the issue be that Robin can only confide in her?

"What is it? Whatever it is, you can tell me." reassured Lucina.

Robin let out a deep sigh and gripped the railing tightly. "Lucina, be honest with me. The one who killed your father." He turned his head to face her again, a desperate pleading look in his eyes. "Was it me?"

Time seemed to stop at that moment for Lucina when the question registered in her brain.

"WHAT!?" Lucina screeched. She could not be more taken aback by what she just heard. Robin…her father's murderer? Preposterous! Right? "W-why would you ask that!? Why would you ever think you were the culprit!?"

"Well…you did say he was killed by his closest ally." Robin pointed out.

Lucina suddenly found the air to be very hard to breathe. Of course, it was so obvious! If her father was slain by his closest ally, who else could it be besides his second-in-command, his best friend, and the man who's always by his side? The only problem was Lucina had a hard time accepting this.

"Th-that could still be anyone!" she desperately tried to argue. "For all we know, it could be Sir Frederick! Yes that's it! Sir Frederick is just as loyal to Father, if not more so! Surely it could just as much be him!"

The future Exalt really didn't like pointing fingers at the stalwart knight, but her fear that Robin might be Chrom's murderer put her into a panic. There's just no way it could be him. Please let there be no way it could be him.

Unfortunately for her, Robin already had a counterargument. "The problem with it being Frederick is that he's so devoted to your father, that he's probably trained himself to commit suicide through muscle memory should he even _think_ about harming Chrom. Not to mention I'm still closer with him."

"We still can't deny the possibility." said Lucina. Although it was clear her resolve was breaking.

"Let's face it Lucina. I'm the prime suspect." Robin concluded, voice filled with depression.

"No." Lucina somehow managed to whisper out. This couldn't be happening. Yes, she vowed to find her father's killer and put an end to the dastard. But why did it have to be Robin? How could it be Robin? He was an honest gentle soul who was always there to make her smile, and was willing to do anything for her family. There has to be a mistake, or at least an explanation.

But first, it's best to ask the obvious question. "Do…do you plan to kill him?"

"Of course not!" Robin declared. "Chrom's my best friend! He took me in when I was just a stranger with no memories lying on the ground. I could've easily been an assassin playing the fool just to get to him. But he trusted me, took me in, and gave me a reason to live and so many new good memories, that I wouldn't mind if I never got my old ones back. He's the reason I'm here today, and I don't think there's anything I could do to repay him."

After hearing that passionate declaration, Lucina began to feel some faith that the white-haired man is innocent. "Robin…"

"But…" Robin continued, and Lucina had a feeling that she wouldn't like this next part. "At the same time, if one of us truly is Chrom's murderer, I wouldn't want it to be anyone, but me."

That set off a red flag in Lucina's mind. "What!? Wh-…why?"

"If I'm Chrom's killer, then that means the other Shepherds are innocent." explained Robin. "Chrom may be my best friend, but the others are just as important to me, and I would never want to harm any of them, even if they are your father's murderer. So if I have to be the culprit in order to not suspect them, then so be it."

Of course that's the reason. Lucina felt ashamed for ever doubting him for even a second. However, this brought up a new question.

"I understand your reasoning. But with someone of your mentality, why would you ever kill Father?" the swordswoman questioned.

"I don't know." admitted Robin, although he had a few theories. "I do have amnesia. Maybe I regain my old memories and remember that I hate him so much and I want him dead. Maybe I'm a sleeper agent ready to kill him on command and I don't even know it. Maybe I get brainwashed and murder him against my will. There's so many possibilities, I'm just not sure."

"But that would mean you didn't murder him." Lucina stated. "If you have no control over your actions, then you shouldn't be held responsible for his death."

"It was still me who did the deed though." Robin reminded. No matter what form of hope Lucina tried to bring, he always seemed to shoot it down. "I'm sorry."

How did it get like this? Back in the future, it was always Robin cheering her up whenever she felt sad. Now in this time, here he was bringing her the worst news imaginable.

However, Lucina knew this wasn't just hard on her. Robin was clearly devastated once he pieced all the clues together. Looking at him now, he seemed ready to crawl up and die from anguish. Despite everything he's told her, Lucina knew it was still only a possibility that Robin could be her father's killer, and that it could be easily someone else. She still held onto that belief, if not for her sake, then for his.

It was time for her to repay the favor and cheer him up.

"You do make some good points Robin. But this is still only conjecture. I have faith that you remained loyal till the end."

That seemed to do the trick, as the tactician finally put on a smile and seemed more relaxed. "Thank you Lucina." He let out a sigh and started to become solemn again. "However, as tactician of this army, it is my job to consider all possible outcomes and prepare accordingly. So I need you to promise me something."

"What is it?"

Robin walked up to the woman and grabbed her shoulders. If this were any other situation, Lucina would be blushing because of the physical contact with her crush. But due to her concern, it just made her more worried.

"If I ever show any signs of betraying your father, please kill me."

For the third time that night, Lucina asked the same two questions in a row.

"What!? Why!?"

"So Chrom can live and the future be saved. Isn't it obvious?"

Lucina shook her head and corrected herself. "No I mean…why me? Why do I have to be the one to take your life?"

Robin flashed her a sad smile. "Honestly, it's because I'm selfish."

"Huh?" She definitely needed an explanation. Robin was one of the most selfless people she's known. Especially after everything he's told her.

"If I'm going to die, I want it to be on my own terms. I want it to be my best friend who gives me peace. But I know that no matter what I do, Chrom will never do it. At best, he'll just punch me just for asking him."

"So you're asking me instead?" inquired Lucina.

"You're a strong woman. This is what you've preparing for all this time. In a way, I'm the reason you're here in the first place."

He didn't know it, but he was pushing a dagger through her heart. "But I'm not your best friend." She was now looking for any excuse to get out of this.

"This is going to sound crazy, but even though we've only gotten to know each other for a few days, I already feel really close to you. I can't explain it, but even though I don't believe in destiny, I feel like you and I were meant to be here for each other."

Why was this happening now? In any other context, this would be Lucina's dream come true. But now? Robin was just making her regret coming back in time in the first place.

"So can you promise me Lucina? Promise me you'll end my life before I go astray?" the tactician asked pleadingly.

Lucina turned her head away, trying to hold back her tears. "I…I…"

"You can't huh?" Robin realized. He let go of the princess's shoulders and sighed. "I should've known that was too much to ask of you. I apologize." The strangest part of all of this was that he seemed perfectly fine with the outcome. "Let's just pretend this never happened, okay?"

Lucina was shocked that he would just try to drop the subject after all of this. "Robin, we can't just ignore this!"

"We're not." he assured. "You said Chrom doesn't die until after this war, so we still have plenty of time. Hopefully I can come up with a plan by then."

"But what if you don't? Aren't you worried?"

"Nope." Robin affirmed while beaming. "Because when the moment comes, I know you'll make the right decision."

Despite the confidence in his statement, it didn't make Lucina feel any better. She dreaded the idea of choosing between her father and the man she has deep feelings for. And now she'll have this knowledge of this future situation looming over her head for a long time.

"Well, I'm beat." Robin suddenly said, trying to end all the drama. "I think I'm going to get some shuteye. Are you coming?"

Lucina just stood there and sadly shook her head.

Robin frowned, but remained respectful. "Alright, I understand." He walked past her and headed to the cabin door. Before he went down below the deck of the ship, he turned his body to face her one last time. "Good night Lucina." And with that, he was gone.

Lucina didn't even bother to watch him go. She just kept standing there in that same position, contemplating on everything that just happened. It was lot to take in all at once. For some time she hadn't moved a muscle, until in the end, she could only utter a single name.

"Robin…"

* * *

_The Next Morning…_

If Lucina had trouble sleeping last night, she might as well have insomnia now. Thanks to the revelation that Robin might be the reason Chrom dies and that he asked her to be his executioner, the poor girl couldn't get a wink of sleep. Really, it was amazing she was even functioning right now, though she could probably attribute that to having to get by with little sleep during the apocalypse.

Now on the deck of the ship, she sees all of the Shepherds either conversing or training, including Chrom and Robin. She wanted nothing more than to avoid the two of them, but knew that if she did so, her father would be worried about her and would prod her about what was bothering her, and then she might let it slip about the events of last night. Letting out a sigh, she went over to the two men.

"Good morning Father. And to you as well Robin." Lucina greeted.

"Good morning Lucina." Chrom greeted back, with Robin giving her a polite nod. However, the former soon got a better look at his daughter and frowned. "Lucina, are you alright."

Taken aback at first, Lucina realized that she must have looked tired (and boy Naga, she sure felt tired). She decided to be truthful about her condition. "I'm sorry. I didn't sleep well last night."

Robin looked ashamed, no doubt feeling guilty that it was because of him Lucina had trouble dozing off.

"Well that's no good." Chrom stated. "Maybe you should go back to bed until you're well rested."

Before Lucina could protest that she was fine, a voice called out to the Exalt.

"Milord." It was Frederick, who was coming over to join the trio with the two khans by his side. "The pegasus knights report the Valmese fleet matches ours, ship for ship."

"We've already encountered the enemy?" gasped Lucina.

"Your tone tells me this is not good news." assumed Chrom, noting the way Frederick delivered the message.

"It never is." Robin muttered.

"Their troops vastly outnumber ours. Our vessels are half-full, at best. But every Valmese ship is packed from stem to stern with soldiers." The great knight explained.

"It'll be a massacre if we take them head on." cringed Chrom.

"It's not like we have any other option." Flavia reminded. "We may be undermanned, but Plegia was gracious enough to give us an abundance of other supplies…including oil. Perhaps a certain tactician could find a use for that." You could practically hear her going "Hint, hint. Nudge, nudge."

Robin covered his chin with his thumb and forefinger. "Hmm…perhaps he could."

"What good's oil if we don't have any catapults to launch them with?" Basilio questioned Flavia's logic.

"There has to be other ways to set those ships aflame. Worst comes to worst, we could always turn our craft into a makeshift bomb and jump ship before we ram the enemy fleet."

"You have a death wish woman!? Just because you're eager to burn in hell, doesn't mean you have to drag us with you!"

"Do you have a better idea oaf!? At least I'm trying to come up with a plan. Which is more than what I could say for you concerning Regna Ferox's economy!"

"Oh Gods, not this again. Look if you want to talk about bad policies, why not you tell everyone how you decided to forgo all background checks on immigrants!?"

"My signature on that documentation was forged and you know it! I never dot my i's with hearts!"

"Like an old married couple, those two." murmured Robin. "If you're done bickering, I do have a plan. Frederick, did the pegasus knights locate where the General was on the enemy vessels?"

"He was on the foremost ship, backed by two more." reported Frederick.

"Perfect. Get everyone prepared for battle and lure the General's ships away from his fleet."

"Fighting against 3-to-1 odds?" The west khan grinned. "I like your style Robin!"

"Glad you're on board!" The whitehead turned to Lucina. "Are you sure you're fit to fight?"

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine." The princess assured. "This isn't the first time I fought unrested."

The fact that Lucina admitted that she's used to fighting while tired didn't sit well with Robin, but knew that was a different matter to deal with at a later time. "Alright, in that case I'm pairing you up with Tharja. Her dark magic can support you from afar."

If Lucina didn't know Robin was a kindhearted man, she would've sworn he was just torturing her at this point. Lucina was still very wary of Tharja, and the princess wouldn't be surprised if she suffered an "accident" during battle because of this. Regardless, she knew that as the army's tactician, Robin knew best, and she would've trusted his judgment anyways.

"Very well." complied Lucina. She went off to seek the dark mage.

In a few short minutes, the Shepherds were all gathered on deck, poised to action. The ship was surrounded by three of the Valmese General's, ready to board and invade.

"Shepherds!" shouted Ignatius, the scarred Valmese General. "We have heard of your many feats during your war with Plegia, and we must say, we are most impressed! However, facing off one ship against three of ours!? You're either very brave or very stupid!"

"Good, he doesn't know we're both." Gaius kidded, his voice low enough so only the people around him could hear. "We still have the element of surprise."

"There doesn't have to be any bloodshed!" Chrom called back to the General. Despite the inevitable skirmish, he still tried to follow in his late sister's footsteps and opted to try for peace one last time. "Lay down your weapons and we can discuss negotiations!"

"HAH! You think you are in any position to negotiate!?" Ignatius scoffed. "Are you so weak that you would surrender before even drawing your sword!? PATHETIC! Valm knows no mercy, and we will crush you here and now!"

"Can't say I didn't try." sighed Chrom before putting on his game face. "Robin!"

"Got it! Miriel, Ricken, Henry! Start dumping the barrels off the stern! Everyone else, BATTLE STATIONS!"

_*Cue battle music*_

The Valmese soldiers started to board the Shepherds' vessel, either by plank or by rope. The latter didn't get far though, as Virion loaded three arrows on his bow and fired, each shot nailing a swinger in midair, causing them to plummet to the ocean.

"Ha! Did you see that Cherche? These boorish men cannot withstand the magnificence that is the 'archest of archers'!" the blue-haired bowman bragged to his retainer.

"They sure cannot." Cherche humored him as she was about to take off on Minerva. "Just make sure you can survive without me." She and her wyvern took to the skies.

"Fear not! For the sake of all the ladies in the world, this legend shall not die!" Virion proclaimed. Another soldier was charging at him and took a swipe with his sword, but Virion saw it coming and sidestepped out of its range. The soldier took another swipe, and once again, Virion sidestepped. Once more, the soldier swiped at the archer, but this time, Virion ducked it and rose back up, smacking his foe in the face with his bow. The archer then practically climbed on top of the soldier in two steps and pushed himself off of him and into the air, where he loaded another arrow and fired it straight at the enemy's heart, killing him.

When Virion landed, he saw three more men of the enemy troop charging at him, so he loaded three more arrows onto his bow. Before he could fire however, one by one the soldiers were impaled by some invisible force and they fell to the floor. Normally when someone sees something akin to a ghost murdering people, they freak out. But Virion just calmly smiled at the occurrence.

"Though I cannot see your humble presence, I offer my thanks Sir Kellam." Virion called out to thin air.

"Well at least it's nice to be appreciated." mentioned Kellam.

Elsewhere on the ship, Vaike, Donnel, and Olivia were about to face off against two knights and two mages. Vaike put on a cocky grin.

"What time is it guys?" he asked his compatriots.

"Why I do believe it's Vaike time sir." answered Donnel.

"Ya got that right!" The fighter charged at a knight, who responded the same. Their weapons clashed and they attempted multiple strikes on each other, but the only connecting hits were axe-on-lance and vice versa. The enemy knight tried a slash from the right, but Vaike parried it, causing his foe to lose his balance. Vaike grabbed the lance in one hand and buried his axe in his opponent's skull with the other. The other knight charged forward with his own lance in front, thinking the fighter might be off guard with his axe stuck in his comrade's cranium. Vaike kicked the dead adversary away from him, freeing his axe, yet getting the corpse pierced by the charging spear. Now the remaining knight was staggered, and Vaike took advantage of this by lobbing off both knights' heads in one mighty swoop of his axe.

The headless bodies fell down, and Vaike grinned at his handiwork before looking towards his companions. "How you guys holding up?"

Donnel was up against a mage with an Elwind tome while Olivia was supporting him. The pinkette's dances allowed the farm boy to become fast enough to dodge and even parry the spells with his sword, but the latter just couldn't find an opening.

"Could be better!" Donnel responded.

Olivia however saw that the second mage was beyond the knights' carcasses, and was about to blast a distracted Vaike with an Elthunder. "Vaike, duck!"

This made Vaike look at the other mage and bent over, prepared to avoid the blast. Olivia acted on impulse and rushed to the wind mage and grabbed him, somehow dodging every spell along the way. She pulled them towards Vaike and with the strength that no one (not even herself) knew she had, she performed a back-to-back flip with the bent over blonde while lifting the mage over them. She landed on the other side of Vaike and placed the mage in front of her, who absorbed the incoming Elthunder spell, frying him on the spot.

Before anyone could process what just happened, Donnel stepped on the still bent over shirtless man and jumped high into the air. With his sword pointing downward, the country kid impaled the thunder mage straight through the chest when he landed.

Needless to say, Vaike was impressed by what he just witnessed. "Okay, that was awesome. But Teach isn't a footstool."

A horse suddenly zoomed past by them. It was ridden by none other than Sully, who was about to take a charging Valmese cavalier head on. Or at least that's what the opposition thought. When they were about to clash, it turns out that Sully was riding towards the enemy's weaponless side and stuck out her lance to catch his neck. She did half of a side flip and a twirl off to the side of her horse and then fell backward, catching her opponent into a chokehold with her lance, dragging him off the back of his horse and slamming him head first into the deck, no doubt breaking his neck.

Two soldiers rushed over to the now horseless woman. Sully smirked and made many swings and twirls with her weapon to deflect each and every blow that came her way. After about seventeen blocked attacks, she sidestepped out of the enemies' range as her steed came speeding back and trampled the soldiers as it was passing by. Sully managed to jump back on her horse as this was happening, and with a proud smile on her face, she went to look for more foes to fight.

She noticed Stahl passing by on his own horse, who managed to take out two soldiers on his own just by getting in two good sword slashes while he was riding passed them. However, a third soldier leapt up and almost caught Stahl off guard, even making a cut in his shoulder. But the green cavalier reacted just at the exact same time to make a swipe and slit the guy's throat, making that his third kill of the fight. Unfortunately, the cut was still very painful, and he had to clutch his shoulder to bear with it for the moment.

"You gotta step up your game Stahl!" Sully called out to her male counterpart before riding off.

"Erk! I'll keep that in mind." Stahl winced at the pain. Fortunately, Maribelle came trotting along on her steed and healed his wound with her staff. "Thanks Maribelle."

"Do to try to be more careful from now on." the healer requested.

On one of the enemy ships, Gaius was taking on three soldiers at once. Luckily, his speed and quick reflexes made it easy for him to block all of their hits, to the point that he was practically just toying with them now.

The thief took the lollipop out of his mouth to taunt his foes. "Is that seriously all you suckers can do? I'm recovering from a sugar rush right now and I'm still running circles around you guys."

One of the soldiers took a swipe at Gaius, and while he didn't make a scratch on the candy lover, he did manage to cut off the main part of the lollipop he was waving around. Gaius watched it fall to the floor, and after it hit the deck of the ship, he let out a large annoyed sigh.

The thief went full on assault on the guy who destroyed his precious sweet. The soldier tried his best to deflect every blow, but after three attacks, Gaius landed five consecutive slashes on his torso and threw his sword high into the air as soon as he got in that last hit. Another of the soldiers tried to slash at him, but Gaius grabbed his wrist as the attack was coming and kneed the adversary in the gut, causing him to stumble a bit before the ginger kicked him away. The third soldier went in for a stab, but Gaius sidestepped it, seized the stabbing arm with both of his own and twisted it just right to make it break. As the poor soul screamed in agony, the thief kicked his knee at the right angle, causing his leg break as well and make him fall to one knee. Finally Gaius gripped the soldier's head and snapped his neck, ending him once and for all.

The second soldier finally recovered and tried to come back with a vengeance. Emphasis on tried, because when he went in for another strike, Gaius simply grabbed his arm again, ducked under it, and elbowed the guy in the back, who tried to keep his balance and not fall forward. At this point, Gaius's sword finally fell down, and the man with a sweet tooth caught it by the hilt and stabbed the staggered enemy behind, finishing him off, and all without looking back.

On that same ship, Lon'qu and Gregor were standing back to back, both in battle stances ready to strike, and surrounded by at least ten soldiers.

"Remember what Gregor taught you." Gregor told the stoic swordsman.

"I remember." Lon'qu assured curtly.

All the soldiers charged at the two at once. One second, there were two quick slashes. The next second, all the enemy troops were standing on the opposite side from where they attacked from. And in the second after that, they all fell to the ground, each with a giant gash, while Lonn'qu and Gregor remained unscathed.

In the skies, Sumia and Cordelia were tag-teaming a falcon knight. One woman would swoop in and try to score in a hit with a hit-and-run tactic, while the other would quickly follow up with the same strategy in an attempt to overwhelm their adversary. At first the falcon knight was able to hold her own for a while, but then the Ylissean fliers began to switch it up by attacking at the same time, causing their foe to only be able to defend against one assault, but take damage from another. Eventually, the flacon knight could no longer protect itself, and with a well-timed dual strike, she was knocked off her mount and sent plummeting into the sea.

There was still one other falcon knight left, which Cherche was trying to take care of. Since this was basically a one-on-one fight, she couldn't use the same hit-and-run tactic, so their weapons clashed blow for blow constantly. Realizing this was getting her nowhere, Cherche made a daring move and did a graceful twirling jump off Minerva, into the air, and landed on the foe's pegasus behind the rider herself. Before the falcon knight had a chance to react, Cherche cleaved her in two with her axe and sent her falling off. The wyvern rider wasn't done yet, as she made a downward strike onto the pegasus, causing it to whinny in pain and lose altitude. Cherche jumped into the air, with Minerva flying over to her to catch her on the wyvern's scaly back while simultaneously snatching the injured pegasus in her massive maw.

"Good girl!" Cherche praised her loyal companion. "Now let's go!"

The duo flew over to the ship where Gaius, Lon'qu, and Gregor were. Once the three saw the wyvern rider in the sky, they made a hasty retreat to get off the ship with the Valmese troops on their tail. With a flick of her head, Minerva tossed the struggling pegasus in her mouth onto the vessel, making the winged horse slide and scrape across the deck, taking out any enemies in its path before finally crashing into the cabin.

On another enemy ship, Panne was in her beast form running around, kicking and tearing up any foes she came across. Any survivors got up and went to chase her. When she reached the end of the ship, the enemy troops thought they had cornered her, but failed to notice their own barrels of oil nearby her. Panne grabbed one, and using her amazing beast strength, tossed it in the air towards the group of foes. Nowi happened to be flying up above them in her dragon form, and launched a fireball at the barrel while it was still in midair, creating an explosion which knocked the enemies off their feet. When they got back up, they saw in front of them fire burning on the ship and casting a malevolent glow on Panne, which would've made anyone quake.

The troops were backing away from the giant rabbit, not noticing that Frederick and Libra were behind them. That is until they started getting either pierced by a lance or mashed with a hammer. One enemy did manage to react fast enough and threw his spear at Frederick. But the great knight caught it with his free hand, twirled it once, and threw it right back at him, nailing him in the solar plexus.

Meanwhile, Lucina was having some minor trouble with a single soldier. Normally, she could take on about three to four average mooks on her own, but the fatigue from not getting a good night's rest was working against her. The swordswoman was blocking every strike, but she kept backing away due to not having her usual amount of strength. Soon she was near the edge of the railing, and she realized she needed to be on the offensive now. Lucina performed an overhead strike, which the soldier blocked, but the princess used the momentum and leverage to lift herself into the air, flip over her opponent, and land behind him. She then shoved her back into the soldier's, pushing him off the railing.

Another soldier came by locked blades with the bluenette. They tried to overpower one another, until the soldier managed to knock Lucina's Falchion out of her hands and up into the air. The new opponent went in for a stab, but Lucina sidestepped it and kicked him away. Her sword came back down, which she caught and then stabbed her adversary in the face. As she freed Falchion and the body fell, Lucina swiped at the air to get as much fresh blood off it as she could.

Lucina decided to check on how her partner was doing. Looking to the side, she saw Tharja going toe to toe with a mage, each one swiping with their hands creating a magic slash. Dark on fire, magic clashed with each other. The Valmese mage tried a horizontal swipe, which Tharja responded by leaning back and getting her knees on the floor, ducking the attack. Then in one swift motion, the dark mage sweep kicked her enemy, causing him to fall face forward, and then she did a quick spin on the floor and stood up, pointing her hand at the fallen mage's back.

"Nosferatu!" Tharja called out. A health-draining dark spell was unleashed on the fire mage, draining his energy and adding it to her own.

Lucina headed over to the dark mage to support her, standing back to back. "Are you alright." the future Exalt asked, trying to see how well her partner was holding up.

"I'm fine." Tharja gave a curt reply.

Lucina noticed on the General's ship next to the one they're on, an archer was aiming an arrow at them.

"Archer!" Lucina shouted. Said archer fired the arrow at the two women, but the future child was able to cut it in midair before it hit either of them. Tharja launched another Nosferatu spell on the archer, taking him out.

On their ship, a dark mage came by and was about to fire his own Nosferatu spell on the ladies. Lucina caught sight of him though and charged straight at him. The dark mage shot his spell at the swordswoman, which she deflected with Falchion and cut this foe down.

Once this occurred, Tharja noticed a few dark sparks lingering on Lucina's blade from the spell she just repelled. "There's some dark magic residue on your sword." She told the girl.

"Is that bad?" Lucina inquired.

"No." Tharja responded. "In fact, it's good for us. Cover me, will you?" She then began to concentrate her power into one spell.

Lucina wasn't sure how much more of this she could take, her restlessness starting to get the better of her. Nevertheless, she did as she was asked and took a battle stance. Two more soldiers came to them, and Lucina deflected sword strike after sword strike, trying to find an opening. Some time has passed before Lucina managed to subdue them and take them down. Usually she could dispatch foes much faster than that, but her exhaustion was growing and her adrenaline was beginning to wane.

Fortunately, Tharja finally finished her spell. "It's complete. Now block this spell."

"What!?" Lucina cried out.

"Nosferatu!" Tharja shot her concentrated spell at the future Exalt, which she blocked as she was told to. However, instead of bouncing off like usual, the spell enveloped her sword in darkness.

_*Cue different battle music that says "enemies are screwed"*_

Lucina pondered just what exactly Tharja did, but another soldier was coming over, so she casted those thoughts aside for now, and locked blades with this new foe. As she did so, Lucina could feel her energy being restored and her fatigue fading away, while the soldier seemed to be growing weaker. The bluenette managed to overpower him and took him out quickly. Afterwards, she looked to Tharja for an explanation.

"It's a heavily concentrated Nosferatu spell which your sword absorbed and turned into a sort of 'power up'." enlightened the dark mage. "It should drain your enemies' energy as long as you make some form of physical contact with them."

Understanding completely, Lucina gained a determined look and hopped onto the railing, leapt off it, and landed on the General's ship. There, she was immediately faced off against three soldiers, but this time, she had no problems parrying their blows. Each blocked attack sapped some of their stamina, until they left themselves open enough and Lucina jumped up and did a leg split, kicking away two soldiers, landing and then cutting down the third one. She had no time to rest though, as three enemy knights were rushing towards her.

"Thoron!" A well-known voice yelled. A beam of lightning hit all three knights and zapped them to death. Lucina saw Robin, Chrom, and the khans coming onto the ship. Robin gave the future princess an assuring smile and nod, of which she returned to him in full. She joined the four and went to the bow of the ship to face off against Ignatius, where he was flanked by two heavily armored knights.

"Arrogant pups!" spat Ignatius. "The seas are my home, and they will be your grave!"

The group of five all let out a battle cry and charged at the heavily armored Valmese knights. Robin and Chrom took on one of the bodyguards while Basilio and Flavia fought against the other. Lucina however went straight for Ignatius solo, dragging her Nosferatu empowered Falchion across the deck of the ship. Ignatius kept trying to impale her with his lance, but Lucina kept managing to block each strike, each one draining the General's energy. After the twentieth deflected stab, Lucina slashed at his weapon, cutting it in two. She did another slash, this time cutting off Ignatius hands. And in that same motion, she twirled once and unleashed one final stab straight into his chest.

Ignatius stood there coughing up blood, not believing he was just beaten so easily by such a whelp. "Strike me down, and ten more will take my place." he wheezed. "You…have…lost…"

"Then we will strike down each and every last one of them, for we cannot afford to fail." Lucina affirmed.

Those were the last words Ignatius heard before he finally stopped living. The Nosferatu boost finally wore off and Lucina pulled her sword free, causing the lifeless corpse to fall.

_*End battle music*_

The other four have finished subduing the guards and saw that Lucina had taken out the General for them.

"Their General has fallen!" Robin called out to all the Shepherds. "Mages, you're up!"

Meanwhile with the rest of the Valmese fleet, a soldier on a vessel witnessed Ignatius's defeat. "Sir, I regret to inform you that General Ignatius has been defeated!"

"What!?" screamed a Valmese commander. "Impossible! How could Ignatius be defeated!? He's one of Walhart's finest Generals!" He stroked his chin, trying to contemplate the notion. "This act of transgression will not go unpunished! All hands on deck, full speed ahead!"

Another soldier was looking over the railing with a confused look on his face. "Uh, hey guys. Has the water always been black?" he asked.

The first soldier and commander looked over the railing and noticed that all the water around the fleet of ships was indeed pitch black. Not only that, there were a bunch of barrels floating in it as well. It was then that they realized that it wasn't water, but oil.

The first soldier looked through his telescope and saw three mages aim towards the oil and barrels. "Oh shi—"

"Elfire!" Miriel, Ricken, and Henry all unleashed Elfire spells at a barrel, setting off a chain reaction of explosions and fire all over Valmese fleet and setting the setting the sea ablaze.

"Gives you a nice warm feeling huh?" Henry joked.

The remaining troops fighting the Shepherds noticed this ocean of fire and immediately surrendered, realizing they've lost. Every one of the Shepherds gathered back onto their ship, setting themselves back on course to Valm.

"I have to hand it to you Robin, you may have outdone yourself." Chrom complimented his best friend. "Only you could ever come up with such a brilliant plan."

"Did you ever really doubt me?" Robin bragged jokingly. "But if there's anyone who deserves praise here, it's your daughter." He turned to face said daughter. "Taking on a General by yourself without any sleep and still not breaking a sweat? If only I had half your skill."

"O-oh, i-it was nothing." Lucina blushed. This was embarrassing. She could curb-stomp a General and take on hordes of Risen, but she can't stop herself from getting flustered when Robin compliments her. "To be fair, I only succeeded thanks to Tharja."

"Is that so?" Robin noted, pleasantly surprised. "That's great to hear. I was actually worried a bit that she might give you a hard time after what happened a couple of days ago. It's good to know I haven't broken my perfect streak of good judgment."

Trying to look normal in front of him, Lucina let out a chuckle at what she assumed to be a joke. "Well I better make sure I show her my gratitude for what she's done." With that, she went to go search for the dark mage, and found her skulking alone as usual.

"What do you want now?" Tharja asked the bluenette aloofly.

Lucina was a little perturbed that Tharja was still acting so distant towards her after what had just happened, but decided to attribute it to the fact that that's how she always acts.

"I just wanted to say thank you for your assistance in battle and—"

"Save it." Tharja rudely interrupted. "I didn't do that because we're friends."

"Excuse me?" This definitely wasn't what Lucina was expecting.

"We're simply allies fighting a common enemy at best, and I simply have no intention of dying anytime soon." So much for trying to make amends. "And besides, you're far too valuable to me to let you go so prematurely."

"I don't understand. What is so important about me?" Lucina asked, although she honestly didn't expect an answer.

Strangely, Tharja proved her wrong. "You're from the future, which means you have a vast amount of knowledge of what's going to happen. And I have questions that you have answers for. Simple as that."

Lucina couldn't fault her for that. Anybody would be eager to know just what happens in their future lives, whether it be mundane or life-changing.

"And one more important thing you should know." Tharja mentioned. She looked at the future child dead in the eye. "Robin. Is. Mine. You can't have him. You will never have him. No matter how much you try, you will always be nothing more than 'Chrom's daughter' in his eyes. So just quit while you're ahead." With that, the dark mage walked off.

Despite what she said, Lucina wasn't disheartened at all. In fact, she understood the real message behind those words. Underneath all the demotivation and warnings, Lucina could tell that Tharja was subtly challenging her. She glared at the woman walking away.

"Very well. I accept your challenge, _harlot_."

"_Translation: Game on, bitch!"_

"Henry! Will you turn that thing off!" Chrom ordered.

"Nyahaha!"

* * *

***Munch* Mmm... *Munch* Mmm! *Munch* Oh sorry, I was just enjoying this bag of chips I got. So I probably took _way_ too many liberties with that fight, since who could say for sure that the Shepherds are capable of all those feats? I really only made it like that for the sole excuse that it would be awesome in my mind. But when you really think about it, they did basically kill Satan in the end so...**

**Not to mention that in _Smash Bros._, Robin and Lucina do somehow go toe to toe with a gorilla, two fire-breathing dragons, a bunch of animals with magical powers, a fierce bounty hunter in a power suit, a psychic kid, a super fast hedgehog, a robot with the powers of many evil robots, a dark warlock, a boy with a giant laser sword who can see the future, a pink blob who can copy the powers of anyone he swallows and regularly kills eldritch abominations (but he cannot beat Majin Buu in a fight! That "Death Battle" was magnanimous amounts of bullshit!), a goddess and her angel servant who regularly beats up gods (and also killed Satan), and the most powerful one of them all, Captain Falcon. So they have to have some kind of hidden strength and badassery to match up against all of that.**

**Oh wait, you're probably wondering why I even put in a fight scene in the first place. Well this is a fanfic about a game about war. There has to be at least some fight scenes, or else I'm not doing it right. Besides, fight scenes are just awesome! I mean who doesn't like fight scenes? I just see characters duke it out and beat the shit out of each other with cool moves and sick combos all the time! But I get why people don't usually write them, because they're hard to write in general. Hopefully I didn't screw up too badly and did this one justice.**

**And sorry for all the drama in the middle of this chapter. It just baffles me that Lucina tells everyone that Chrom is betrayed and killed by someone close to him and no one suspects Robin, _the person who's closest to Chrom_! Did people in medieval times not have common sense!? Oh wait they still had witch trials back then. That answers my question. Anyways, so I just wrote that part to try and make a realistic conversation between Lucina and Robin about how the latter could be a danger to Chrom, while still having it flow with the story.**

**Alright I'm done for now. Stay tuned for chapter 3, coming out...whenever.**


	3. Plushie Power

**Chapter 3 – Plushie Power**

**Here's Johnny! Oh man, that _Mortal Kombat X_ trailer was so awesome! Not only that, we're getting Tremor, we're getting Jason Voorhes, we're getting the FUCKING PREDATOR! THE HYPE IS REAL! But enough about future delicious bloodbaths, even though it's the only action in this chapter since there's no fight scene (even I have to boo myself for that). But it'll be fine. It just means I'll let the creative juices in my head stir, and we'll have a good battle next time.**

**And let's look at the positives, this chapter came out a lot sooner than you expected huh? Whaddya mean it took too long!? No it didn't! Last time it took six weeks for the next chapter, this time it only took like four weeks! Why am I acting as if I've gotten complaints about this? I've literally gotten zero complaints. Eh, I clearly just like to hear myself type. ****Still though, I should probably crank out these chapters more often, especially since getting back into writing has done wonders for my mood. I'm happier, I'm fulfilling my desire to entertain people, and I'm finally chatting with others. Granted they're just PM conversations with people on this site, but that's still better than how I was before. In fact, shout-outs to the two PM buddies I got from this story: gokart48, author of the amazing story _Bed Time Story_, and LoveGlutton, author of...um...*looks through profile* a couple of ****Pokémon stories and *keeps checking* some reviews for _Awakening_ and _RWBY_ stories. But that's still something right (crap, I just lost a PM buddy, didn't I)? I also want to formally apologize to them. The former for crashing his brothers gokarts1-47, and the latter for feeding him my hatred.**

**And you know what? Shout-outs to all the viewers, reviewers, and followers, and favorite-..ers out there! If there wasn't so many of you guys that enjoyed this story, I probably wouldn't be having nearly as much fun writing this fic! And if you still want to further help me out with this, I'm still accepting suggestions for which pairings to use in the story. And you probably should do that, because even though some of you have said I should do whatever pairings I want, there happens to be a certain pairing I do want to put in, but I've also gotten a couple of suggestions to do a contrasting pair. However, since it's only two people, I'm tempted to pull a dick move and just go ahead and do the pairing I want anyways because I feel like I can get away with it and only piss off those two people. Don't make me pull a dick move, send me your pairing suggestions now!**

**Let's see, is there anything else I can say to further take away your reading time? Hmm...oh I've got something! You know how licensed games are usually terrible? Then how come _Dragonball Xenoverse_ is not only fun and entertaining, but also a WAY better MMO than _Destiny_? Food for thought. Now let's! Get! This! OVER WITH! **

**Rating: T for strong language.**

* * *

A cute little mumble sounded throughout the cabin room as a certain blue-haired princess's eyes fluttered open. Lucina had no idea what time it was, but now that she was awake, she might as well get up now. She really had no right to complain though, this was the first good night's rest in a long time. During the time of Grima's reign, she and her companions could not stay in one spot for very long, so the best sleep one could get was a quick nap if they were lucky.

Once that thought crossed her mind, Lucina realized something. She talks and thinks about the apocalyptic future way too much. Sure, preventing it was her main priority, but that doesn't mean she should bring it up every second of the day. At the rate she was going, it will soon become a borderline obsession, and that's never healthy. Not only that, she wouldn't want to worry the Shepherds over it. And even if they wouldn't, they probably would eventually be bored and annoyed every time she brings up the subject. She wouldn't want to do that to people like Robin and her father and bother them with her issues. She should really try to put it aside for now, try to relax, and look at the positives.

But speaking of a certain tactician, Lucina smiled pleasantly as his face came into view when her eyes regained their focus. Or rather an adorable version of it on a tiny Robin plushie lying next to her on her hammock. Sure a grown woman owning a stuffed doll could be seen as childish, but this particular plushie had sentimental value to her. It was given to her by Robin of all people after all. The Robin from her time that is.

* * *

_The Original Future…_

Little Lucina was not happy. Then again she was never happy during this time of day, for it always meant the one moment in the day she dreaded. Robin was about to head home, and that meant she would have to wait ten hours (a span of time which felt like an eternity to a child) before he would come over again and play with her.

"Do you really have to go?" the kid princess asked with pleading eyes that begged him to not leave.

"I'm sorry Lucina." responded Robin with an apologizing smile. "But you know I can't stay here forever. I don't live here after all."

"You could though! Father would let you!" Lucina protested.

What was occurring right now was a conversation that would happen practically every day. Robin would get ready to leave, Lucina would essentially beg him not to go, Robin would point out that he has his own home to go to, and then the girl would state that her father will let him reside with them. She was right though. Many a time Chrom has offered the tactician to live with his family in the palace, as he was already considered a part of it. But every time, Robin would always decline, and he would respond with something along the lines of…

"I know he would. But after all he's done for me, the last thing I want to do is mooch off of him and be a burden."

"You wouldn't be a burden!" the little girl proclaimed. She just couldn't understand Robin's line of thinking. Who would constantly turn down an offer to live in the palace of the Exalt himself? It means a free place to stay, lavish meals, and best of all, the two of them could play together forever.

Besides, it's not mooching if they offer him all of this in the first place, right? Not to mention he would abuse his privilege of living with the royal family much less than Aunt Lissa.

"Maybe you'll understand my way of thinking when you're older." said Robin.

A noise akin to a whine hummed through Lucina's mouth as she pouted.

"Come on now, don't pout. Pretty girls should always smile."

Normally Lucina would blush whenever he would call her pretty, but all she did was continue to sulk, causing Robin to sigh. He didn't like seeing her upset, and even though seeing her pout like this was cute, Robin didn't want it to be over something as petty as him going home.

"Fine then. I guess I'll just have to give this special gift I got to a good girl who doesn't pout." Robin causally mentioned.

That got Lucina to stop and look at the man with curious eyes. "You got me a gift?"

"Oh, so now you stop pouting." Robin chuckled. "But yeah, I got you something so you won't be so lonely without me."

It took all of Lucina's self-control to not start bouncing up and down like her sister as Robin rummaged through the inside of his coat. After what felt like the eternal ten hours she originally had to wait for Robin to come back the next day, the whitehead finally pulled out the present from hiding.

"TADA!"

Lucina gasped, as there in Robin's hand was perhaps the most adorable thing she ever saw. It was a tiny plushie version of the tactician himself with a smiling face that just seemed to scream to her "Hold me, hug me, and love me forever." And boy was she willing to comply.

"So do you like it?" Robin asked, already knowing the answer and handing the plushie over to her.

Lucina happily took it and began cuddling it immediately. "I love it! Thank you so much Robin."

"You should be thanking Cherche. She was the one who made this. All I did was make the request."

Lucina could believe that. Gerome's mother is a very kind and talented lady. She could sew anything together, cook foods on par with that of the royal kitchen staff (which Lucina hoped Cherche would teach her so she could impress Robin), and ride a wyvern with more power and grace than any Pegasus rider (sans her mother and Severa's of course). Gerome himself is nice and fun too. The princess just wished he wouldn't be so shy.

"I will." Lucina promised, and she continued to snuggle the plushie.

"So that's how it is." A third voice spoke up from across the room. Robin and Lucina turned their heads towards its direction and found Chrom walking up behind the former. "I came here to say good bye and put Lucina to bed, and here you are trying to get her to imprint on you."

"Imprint huh? How long did it take Miriel to teach you a big word like that?" Robin jested.

The tiny bluenette looked a bit worried at her father. She still had trouble telling if people were joking or not (didn't help that she had no idea what imprint meant), but she automatically assumed the worst and figured he was not pleased.

"Father, do you not like what Robin gave me?" she asked, hoping that wasn't the case. Robin's gifts were the best, and if she wasn't allowed to have them, well…her little world just might come crashing down.

"Don't worry Lucina." Robin assured. "He's just upset that I didn't give you a plushie of him instead." His smile suddenly grew. "Which is why I got Cherche to make one as well!" He pulled out another plushie from his coat, this one resembling the Exalt himself, and held it up for everyone to see.

Lucina gasped once again and joyfully accepted the second doll, hugging it along with the Robin plushie. "Thank you again Robin!"

"You're welcome sweetie." Robin turned to his best friend with a smirk on his face. "Happy now?"

"Better." Chrom admitted. He now had an expression that even Lucina could tell that all was right in the world again.

"Hey! Don't I get any plushies!?" whined Cynthia who was now coming up next to Lucina.

"Yes, and what about their dear mother?" spoke up Sumia who strode up to Chrom's side. "Isn't there one of her for my daughters to enjoy?" Unlike her husband earlier, she definitely looked displeased.

"Okay, okay, settle down." Robin put up his hands in defense, but he didn't seem shaken at all. "I was afraid this might happen." He put on another big smirk. "So I also got Cynthia plushies of Sumia and her pegasus!" And for the third time that night, the family friend brought out two more plushies. One of the pegasus rider and one of her mount, just as he said.

Instead of gasping like her elder sister, Cynthia squealed in delight when she saw and received her stuffed dolls. "Thank you sooooooo much Robin!" And just like Lucina, she began to hug her new gifts to death.

Sumia now had a pleasant smile on her face, indicating that she was no longer mad. "I knew we kept letting you come here for a reason."

"You managed to dodge an arrow there my friend." Chrom noted.

"You know me. I'm always three steps ahead." Robin bragged in good humor. "So girls, do like your gifts?"

"Yeah!" Cynthia cheered. Lucina nodded in agreement.

"Great. Now you have something to stop all those boogeymen at night and keep yourselves from wetting the bed." Robin said with a strange smile.

Both girls turned red-faced at the implication. "I DO NOT WET THE BED!" Lucina screamed in defense. "Did Cynthia tell you that!? She's lying! I bet it's she that does it!"

"NO I DON'T!" Cynthia loudly protested. "If anyone's a bed-wetter, it's you! You're a big scaredy-cat who's just pretending to be brave and strong to impress Robin!"

Now Lucina had another reason for why her face was so flushed. "I am brave and strong! It's you who's chicken! Remember when you almost peed yourself when you saw that bug!?"

"You almost peed yourself too when you saw it!"

A hearty laugh from the white-haired man got the two siblings to stop bickering and look towards him. "Relax girls. I was only kidding." he chuckled.

Lucina and Cynthia made a cute pout, clearly embarrassed that the older man got a kick out of screwing with them and feeling guilty for throwing insults and accusations at one another.

"I know the real bed-wetter is your father." added Robin.

And just like that, the girls went from pouting to giggling with Robin at his joke. Even Sumia joined in on the laughter.

Chrom however remained stone-faced. "Yeah, because every night I have the same nightmare where a certain tactician is trying to kidnap my daughters with promises of toys and gifts."

A silence followed through after he said that and lasted a few good seconds before Cynthia broke it. "So you do wet the bed Daddy!"

Everyone cracked up even harder at the poor Exalt's expense. "Well that completely backfired." he sighed.

"You were never the best at planning ahead." Robin commented after he calmed himself down somehow. "That's why you had to hire the best tactician there is."

Turning away from his currently sour friend, Robin faced the older princess. "But seriously Lucina. As much as I love to give you gifts, there is a specific reason I gave you these."

Lucina looked at him curiously. "What is it?"

Robin got down on one knee so he could be at eye level with the girl. "I know how much you hate it whenever I have to leave, but you have to understand that I can't be here forever."

There had to be a stronger word than "dejected" to describe Lucina's expression. "Is…is it because you don't like me anymore?" It's the only thing she feared more than no more presents.

"That's not true and you know it. But you're a big girl now, and that means you can't keep on moping whenever I'm not around. So I'm giving you this mini-me to ease the pain, but only if you stop begging me to stay every day. Promise?"

Lucina actually had to pause to think about all of this. While these were by far the best gifts the man ever gave her, she would always rather have the real Robin than some lifeless copy. However, she knows that she can't get everything she wants, and while she doesn't understand why he won't stay with them in the palace, she trusted his judgment enough that she figured it was probably a good reason. Besides, Lucina wanted to prove to Robin that she could be a mature and understanding girl.

And hey, she still has at least _a_ Robin by her side. The most adorable, precious version of him ever conceived.

"I promise." Lucina vowed with all her sincerity.

"That's my girl." Robin smiled proudly and stood back up. "Well, it's been fun, but I really must get going. And your second favorite grownup has to tuck you two in." He pointed his thumb at Chrom behind him. The man just couldn't get a break tonight.

Once Robin finally said his goodbyes and left, only the royal family was left in the room. "Well you heard him, it's time for bed dearies." said Sumia.

"But I'm not tired!" Cynthia objected. "And I want to play with my new plushies!"

"You can bring them to bed with you." Sumia tried to reason. It seemed to have worked, as the youngest put up no resistance when her mother picked her up and headed straight to her room (though she was still frowning). Meanwhile, Chrom was doing the same with Lucina.

As they were walking down the hallway, the father asked his oldest child a minor question, but it was important to him nonetheless. "Lucina, be honest with me. I'm your favorite grownup, right?"

"Huh? Oh uh, yes…of course." Lucina affirmed, though she didn't sound all that convincing.

Chrom heaved an annoyed sigh after hearing this. They made it to the princess's room where he tucked Lucina in her luxurious bed.

"Good night sweet princess."

"Good night Father." Chrom gave his offspring a kiss on her forehead, and Lucina snuggled up to her new plushies of him and Robin and immediately fell asleep.

Chrom exited the bedroom as quietly as he could. Once he closed the door behind him, he put on a comically disheartened expression.

"Great." Chrom sighed. "My daughter thinks I'm second rate to a smartass."

* * *

_The New Present…_

Lucina smiled fondly as she picked up the Robin plushie. It's strange how despite being so long ago, she could recall that moment so vividly. She reached behind her searching for something in her hammock. She managed to find it and held it up, which turned out to be the Chrom plushie she also received all those years ago (or will receive all those years from now, considering the time travel aspect).

The swordswoman had kept these dolls her whole life. After her father died and Robin mysteriously disappeared, these were the only mementos along with Falchion she had to remember them by. The two men she looked up to and aspired to be as noble and upstanding as them? She just couldn't let go of them in her thoughts. Even when Naga gave her the chance to go back in time and therefore forced to travel light, she chose to bring them along. They were to her kind of like what a security blanket was to a child, always giving her the strength and confidence she needed when the current situation got really dire. Even pretending that Chrom and Robin were somehow watching over her through the plushies' eyes.

Sure under normal circumstances all of this could be seen as incredibly juvenile, but Lucina held no shame for doing so. It was a dark time, and if she had to swallow her pride and use a coping mechanism to get by and save everyone, then so be it. And yes, now that she was reunited with Chrom and Robin again, she had no more need for the plushies, but she kept them anyway. They were a gift from her deceased best friend and crush after all, keeping them around would serve to honor him in loving memory. And more importantly, they were just too cute to dispose of.

Lucina shook her head after thinking all of this. She committed to herself that she wouldn't muse over the future of despair, and already she was failing. This might be harder than she thought. Perhaps she should try mingling with the others. That usually gets her mind off of troubling matters. She neatly laid down the dolls in her hammock and headed outside of her cabin.

On the deck of the ship, the Shepherds were either relaxing or conversing with each other. As Lucina passed by the members, she noticed that a majority of them were sticking together in their usual groups. One of these days she should definitely try to get out of her comfort zone and get to know everyone else, but for now she would like to see what her family and Robin were up to. She saw them chatting at the bow of the ship and made her way towards them.

While walking, she happened to pass by Tharja, who was loitering alone as usual. The moment their eyes met, they instantly began to have a stare off, conveying their newfound rivalry towards one another in their glares. Tharja pointed at her eyes with her index finger and pinky, then directed those same fingers at Lucina. The bluenette returned the gesture while contorting her face in an attempt to look enraged and intimidating. Unfortunately, it just made her look utterly ridiculous without her even realizing it before walking away. Tharja raised an eyebrow at her behavior before shrugging with a look that said "whatever".

Now with that out of the way, Lucina made it to where her usual gang consisting of her father, mother, aunt, and Ylisse's most eligible bachelor was.

Lissa was the first to notice the new arrival and greeted her to let everyone know. "Well look who's woken up from the dead."

That set off a red flag in Lucina's mind. The only creatures to rise from the dead were… "Risen! On this ship! Where!?" She gripped the hilt of her sheathed Falchion.

"Whoa-ho! Calm down Luce." Lissa put her hands up, though she still had a calm smile. "It's just an expression. It means you've finally woken up from a long slumber."

"…Oh." Lucina blushed and took her hand off her sword. Not these "expressions" again. Why couldn't everyone make life easier for her and just say what they mean, instead of trying to always be creative with their speech.

"I take it everyone's straight to the point in the future?" Chrom inquired.

"I just…can't seem to grasp the concept." admitted Lucina, looking down in embarrassment.

"You'll learn soon enough when you spend time with us." chipped in Sumia. But mentally added 'Hopefully.' At the end.

"We can start teaching her right now!" Lissa suggested excitedly. "Okay Lucina, I was also gonna use the expressions 'Sleeping Beauty' and 'sawing logs' to describe you and your actions. Whaddya think they mean?"

The future princess put some thought into this test. "Sleeping Beauty" was self-explanatory, and she was familiar with fairy tale itself. As for "sawing logs", she's pretty sure she's heard her sister and Severa use that to complain about her…

'No…' Lucina dreaded in her thoughts. 'It can't be…'

"I DO NOT SNORE!" She yelled in defiance of this revelation, face even more flushed than before.

Everyone in front of her laughed at her behavior. "Sorry Lucina." Robin apologized while still chortling. "We checked up on you hours ago and found you snoring so loud, they could be mistaken for animal growls."

This is humiliating. It's bad enough that now all of the Shepherds know she "supposedly" snores (she will deny this to the bitter end, darn it!), now even Robin bared witness to it in action.

"Don't worry, I thought it was cute." Robin admitted, trying to make his best friend's daughter feel better. He couldn't tell if it worked, as all it did was make Lucina's face redder. "Besides, it's probably not your fault. You probably just get it from your aunt who's known to snort."

The moment he said that, he felt a certain cleric's foot stomp on his own. A yelp of pain escaped his throat and he comically hopped up and down on one leg while holding his damaged foot. Lucina was about go in and soothe his suffering, until Lissa stepped in front of her with a cheeky smile full of false innocence on her face.

"Okay, so besides learning expressions, you also gotta know when someone is lying to you." stated Lissa. "Like for example, Robin said I snort. Obviously an outlandish lie."

Lucina quirked an eyebrow at her aunt. "I'm positive I can trust Robin. If we hadn't trusted his judgment in that last battle, who knows what the outcome would've been. We could've suffered much more casualties, or worse."

The pain in Robin's foot subsided and he gave Lucina an appreciative smile.

"Yeah, but come on." Lissa tried to rebut. "Me, a snorter? That's ridiculous! HAH! *snort*" The moment that snort was released from her nostrils, an awkward silence filled the air. Or at least it was awkward between the aunt and niece. As for the other three, they were trying to hold in their snickers at their point being proven. And Lissa knew it.

"Just because I heal with a staff doesn't mean I can't bludgeon pretty hard with it." Chrom's sister threatened.

Just when the dam of laughter was about to burst, Lucina remembered something Robin mentioned. "Wait, you said you checked up on me hours ago. What time is it?"

"It's noon dear." answered Sumia, calming herself down.

Lucina's eyes widened at this. "WHAT!? Why didn't anyone wake me up!?"

"Lucina, you were clearly still tired from the night before." Chrom began to explain. "Sure Tharja's spell helped renew your energy during the battle, but your body still needs physical rest. We figured it was for the best if we let you sleep in until you were well rested again or another surprise battle occurred."

His daughter sighed, as she knew her father made a fair point. "I suppose there is some truth to your words, and I do appreciate your consideration. However, this also means—" Her stomach interrupted her with growling noises.

"Oh my! You've missed breakfast didn't you!?" cried out Sumia.

"Well that sucks." commented Lissa. "Can't save the future on an empty stomach right?"

Actually, Lucina has been forced to go through periods without eating several times, but she reckoned they didn't need to know that little tidbit. "It's fine."

"NO IT'S NOT!" shouted Sumia. "You need to be properly fed at all times! Miss one meal now and for all we know, you'll be an anorexic soon enough!" She was beginning to grow hysterical. "Oh how could I let this happen to my baby girl!? I'm a terrible mother!"

"It's alright mother." Lucina assured, trying to calm her down. "I can easily wait until lunch. Really, I'll be fine."

"Uh-uh. Not going to happen." Robin stated adamantly. "You said the same thing when you were tired and it almost got you killed if it weren't for Tharja." He started to rummage through the inside of his coat. "So I took the liberty of saving you this."

The tactician pulled out a nice, juicy, red apple which looked _very_ appetizing to Lucina. She guessed she was hungrier than she thought.

"I know it's not much, but it's hard to find leftovers whenever Stahl's eating. So I hope you like apples."

Lucina smiled at how thoughtful Robin is and graciously accepted the red fruit. "I love apples. Thank you Robin." She took a bite out of it and let the sugary juices fill her taste buds. "Mmm…it's delicious."

"Glad to know I made the right call." Robin said. "I figured a sweet girl like you would like sweet things herself."

That weird hold he unknowingly had on his best friend's daughter worked its magic, as Lucina was blushing once again. She took another bite out of the apple to hide her pink-tinted face along with her bashful smile.

"Nice one Mr. Smooth Talker." Lissa whispered to Robin from behind him. "But I'm surprised you didn't get her a sour green apple to see her pucker up so you could 'accidentally' trip forward."

Now Robin was blushing just like the girl in front of him, much to Lissa's amusement if her cheeky smile was any indication.

"**LAND HO!**" cried out Vaike's voice from the crow's nest.

Everyone on board looked out to the front of the ship to see that there indeed was land up ahead.

"We've made it to Valm already!?" Lucina asked shocked. "How can that be? This is only day three of our voyage.

Robin looked to her with a proud smirk on his face. "While you were asleep, I figured out a way to speed up our process. Better we get there sooner than later, right?" He pulled out a simple wind tome, prepared to give the princess a demonstration of his ingenuity. "All mages on deck!"

He, Miriel, Ricken, Tharja, and Henry all lined up horizontally below and behind the ships massive sails.

"Wind!" They all unleashed wind spells on the sails, blowing air into them and causing the ship propel forward at a very fast pace. Although he always does stuff like this, Robin never ceases to amaze Lucina whenever he comes up with a plan, even a simple, but effective one like this.

The Shepherds made it to shore in no time. They stepped off the boat to survey their surroundings, which wasn't much other than a small beach that lead to a field with a forest some distance away.

This actually put Chrom at some unease. "Is this Valm? Strange, shouldn't there be—"

"Yoohoo! Oh Shepherds!" A voice called out to everyone.

The strange thing was, they all knew whose voice that was, and looking towards the direction it came from, sure enough they found exactly who they expected. It was none other than the Secret Seller herself, Anna. That would be all fine and dandy…if Anna wasn't also standing with the Shepherds beside them.

"Anna!" the Shepherds' Anna cheered and headed towards her twin.

"Anna!" the second Anna repeated and walked forward as well. They hugged and kissed the air next to both sides of their faces. "It's been too long. So how's the hero business?"

"Profitable." the original answered.

"You have to let me in on it sometime." The new Anna looked past the other redhead and saw the many confused faces on the members of the Ylissean army. "Oh my, where are my manners? I'm Anna, Anna's sister."

"Er, right…greetings!" Chrom tried to regain his composure.

"_Translation: Wassup bitches!_"

"Excuse me?"

Chrom grumbled before turning around. "Henry! I told you to turn that thing off!" he angrily ordered.

"Nyahahaha…no." Henry grinned.

"What do you mean no!?" the Exalt demanded an explanation.

"It's my new best friend!"

Chrom sighed, but knew he had to deal with this particular problem later and tried to make amends with their new guest. "I apologize. Just ignore everything else it has to say. So you're Anna's sister, correct?"

Fortunately, Anna's sister didn't look perturbed whatsoever, and even wore a coy smile. "That's right."

"Oh yeah, isn't there like twenty of you guys or something?" noted Sully.

"Twenty-six." the Shepherds' Anna corrected.

"TWENTY-SIX!?" Lissa shouted in disbelief.

"And…all of you are twins?" Vaike inquired further. "Only, y'know, twenty-six of you."

"Sexvigintuplets." Miriel stated the proper term.

"_Translation: Too many fucking clones!_"

"I weep for the mother that had to birth all of you." Gaius commented, trying to ignore the Translatorb.

"Oh don't worry." the army's Anna reassured. "Big Mama Anna is as tough as they come."

"Big Mama Anna—? I'm not even going to ask." Chrom shook his head and decided to get back on track. "Anyways, can you tell us where we are? We were on our way to Valm before we landed here."

"Well you made it." affirmed Anna's sister.

"This is Valm?" questioned Chrom.

"Yep. You're here to liberate us and put a stop to Walhart the Conqueror, correct?" Chrom raised an eyebrow, wondering how this woman knew all this information. "My sister has been keeping me up to date."

"I like to keep in touch with my family to let them know I'm doing my part for the army. You know, providing you all weapons at a discount, saving your butts in battles, things like that."

"Were you even in that last battle Red?" Gaius pointed out.

"Eh, I was somewhere offscreen with Lissa."

The cleric nodded her head, vouching for Anna. Although no one, not even Lissa, knew what the merchant meant by "offscreen".

"Well if this is Valm, we must've veered off course a bit." Chrom continued from where he was. "We were supposed to land at the harbor."

"No we didn't." Robin spoke up. "I made sure we would avoid the harbor like a plague."

Chrom looked to his best friend. "Any reason why?" He wasn't angry at him, for like his daughter, he trusted Robin's judgment. He was curious though.

"Chrom, think about it. This is a war between two countries separated by sea. The harbor is the first place they're expecting us to be."

"Listen to your tactician." Anna's sister chimed in. "The whole harbor is heavily fortified. You can't walk two steps without seeing a soldier primed and ready for battle."

Chrom nodded, accepting the reason. "Very well. Good call Robin."

"I'm pretty sure that's just common sense Chrom." Robin tried to downplay himself. "I mean where else could Walhart predict where we're going to land? It's not like he can station men all across this side of the continent, right?"

For the first time since this meeting began, Anna's sister didn't look happy one bit. "Well…"

Her apprehension struck a chord in the Shepherds. "No way." Lissa managed to choke out.

"Well obviously he didn't since it's just little ol' me here, but…"

"He has that many men under his command?" Lucina asked the question everyone was dreading.

"…Maybe?"

That was _not_ reassuring. "Dear Naga." Frederick breathed out.

"Look, I wasn't there to witness what went down in Plegia, but this time, you've got your work cut out for you." The redhead then put on her best winning smile. "Luckily for you, you just happened to run into the best merchant this side of Valm, who can give you the finest wares you'll ever lay your eyes on. For a reasonable price of course. I've set up shop in a town near here, so we can swing on by and I'll set you up with whatever you need."

Chrom had to sigh at the woman's sudden change in demeanor. Of course she would try to make a sale or two off of them. She was an Anna after all. Still, this was a boon for them, as they'll need all the help they can get if they're up against this many soldiers.

"It's a start." Chrom gave out his orders to the Shepherds. "We best set up camp here and come up with a strategy for how to go about this campaign. Robin, you think you can handle that?"

"Sorry Chrom." Robin apologized. "I'm still shaken over knowing what we're up against now. I think I need a walk to clear my head. How about I go collect the firewood and I'll get back to you on that strategy?"

"Alright, I'll allow it. We have to make sure that pretty little brain of yours is in top shape after all." joked Chrom, causing Robin to smirk at the leader's playfulness.

"May I join you Robin?" Lucina asked the tactician, catching him and Chrom off guard.

"Are you sure about that Lucina?" her father asked. "We need some of us to go with Anna to her shop, and I was going to make you part of that group."

"We'd imagine you're still hungry. You could get something to eat while stocking up on provisions." Robin further explained.

"The apple you've given me sustained me." Lucina assured. "Besides, I too feel the need to clear my head after all of this." Admittedly, she was anxious from the new information that they would have to fight so many soldiers, but we all know the real reason she's asking to come with him.

"Hmm…" Robin began to muse over his decision. "I'd tell you no, but since you're Chrom's daughter, you'd probably be too stubborn to accept that as an answer." he jested. "Besides, I always appreciate the company."

Lucina smiled at him before turning her head towards her father. She wanted to make sure he had his permission as well. "Will this be alright Father?"

"I see no harm in it. It's fine by me." Robin and Lucina thanked Chrom and headed over to the forest. The Exalt then turned to the rest of the Shepherds. "Alright, who can promise me they won't get ripped off by the crazy lady?"

* * *

Robin and Lucina were walking through the forest, searching for firewood, and putting them in the sacks strapped to their backs (just another one of Robin's ideas so they could carry more firewood while keeping their hands free). Not really exciting, but that's fine by them.

"So…any reason you wanted to collect firewood with me than get a nice hot meal in town?" Robin asked. He was a little curious, but he was mainly just trying to start a conversation.

"O-oh…um…" Lucina mentally kicked herself for not being more prepared for this. "Like I said, the apple you gave me nourished me plenty."

"I doubt that." Robin stated in a "matter of fact" manner.

"W-why would you say that?" A growl came from the bluenette's stomach, answering her question. She at least had the decency to look ashamed for lying to him.

Robin let out a sigh and picked up a stick from the ground and added it to the bundle on his back. "So I repeat, why join me instead of at least getting a snack in town? If it's because you don't have any money, I would've been more than happy to give you some."

"N-no." Lucina shook her head. "I wouldn't feel right taking your gold. Besides, I could always find some berries to eat in this forest, so that will save us some resources."

Robin looked at her with an expression that showed he was unsatisfied with her answer. This made Lucina relent, so she decided to be upfront about her "hidden motive". "And…I happen to like our time together."

Robin's mood visibly changed from disappointed to somewhat pleased. "Is that so?" he said. "If I knew that was the case, I would have offered to take you out to a restaurant."

A-a-a r-restaurant!?" Lucina stammered.

"Yeah. While I appreciate that you want to hang out with me, I also don't want you to starve yourself because of it. So why not kill two birds with one stone and have me take you out to lunch? That way we can still spend time with each other while you eat."

That was certainly sweet of him, but doesn't he realize what he's offering? Taking her out to a restaurant? Just the two of them? That's something couples do! Even Lucina knew that.

"I'll…k-keep the offer in mind." said Lucina, trying to pull herself together.

Robin smiled when the swordswoman said she would consider her offer. 'She's cute when she stutters like that.' he thought. 'But I've noticed she's been doing that quite a lot around me.' "Hey, may I ask you another question?"

"You may."

"Why me? Of all the Shepherds, why do you want to spend time with me? I would think out of everyone, you would want to make up for lost time with your father."

Lucina stumbled a bit after she heard this. That was the nth time someone asked her a question where the true answer is "because I like Robin". Was there some sort of higher power trying to spill her crush to him?

Fortunately, she had other reasons besides her feelings this time. "Don't get me wrong, I could not be happier to reunite with him again. But you were just as important to me in the future. Not only that, you also make me feel like I actually belong here."

That second part overrode the touching feeling Robin received from the first part with worry. "Why do you say that? Is someone giving you trouble?"

A certain dark mage's image popped into Lucina's mind, but she held her tongue. She knew that Tharja wasn't the real problem anyway. "You've probably noticed, but I'm not exactly…normal. I'm awkward in conversations, I have no knowledge of social norms, I just…don't seem to fit in."

Robin had to hold back a snicker when he heard all of this. "Lucina, have you seen the rest of our army? _Everyone_ is weird in some capacity. Virion flirts with anything that moves, Kellam has an uncanny ability to remain invisible to everyone, Henry is self-explanatory, the list goes on. Trust me, you fit in just fine."

That lifted up Lucina's spirits. "I suppose you're right. I must be too self-conscious. Thank you Robin."

"You're welcome." He moved his head to look forward again while his smile shrank a bit. "Though honestly, if anyone should feel like they don't belong, it would be me."

Lucina gave the white-haired man a confused and concerned look. "Why would you say that? Everyone looks to you for guidance, and I don't think there's a single person who doesn't like you. Why would you feel out of place?"

"Like I said, every one of the Shepherds has some sort of weird quirk. And then there's me, the average Joe who just happens to have a knack for tactics. How could I not stick out like a sore thumb?" He chuckled, but Lucina couldn't tell if it was genuine or not. She figured it couldn't hurt to try and cheer him up just in case.

"Well when you think about it, being normal in a group of such…eccentric people is pretty strange in itself. You know they're abnormal, yet the fact remains you still choose to associate yourself with them. Seems pretty weird to me."

Robin pondered what he just heard for a moment. "Huh, I guess you have a point. By that logic, I might be the weirdest of the bunch." He chortled once more, and this time Lucina was convinced he was happy. "Maybe I can even outweird the likes of Tharja."

"As long as you're nicer than her, I don't mind how unusual you behave. But considering how she is, that shouldn't be hard." She laughed at her own attempt at a joke, but instantly stopped when she saw the stern look Robin was giving her. It was obvious he didn't find it funny.

"I thought you were better than that Lucina." the tactician reprimanded her. "Especially after you two fought side by side."

That stung Lucina a bit, but now that they were talking about the sorceress, maybe she can now get some answers. "Robin, why do you always defend Tharja?"

"Because she's my friend and is part of the Shepherds." He answered. "Isn't that enough?"

If he was talking about anyone else, Lucina would've been fine with that answer. "Okay, then why is she your friend? She's unpleasant, forces herself on you, and is always threatening to hex someone."

"Those are some valid arguments, but now let me ask you something. Have you ever seen Tharja follow through with those threats?"

Lucina racked her brain to think of an instance. "Uuuuh…"

That was all Robin needed to hear. "That's what I thought. She may not act like it most of the time, but Tharja does have her good points. Besides, how would you feel if she insulted you?"

"I wouldn't be surprised." Lucina gave her frank response.

"Well I wouldn't like it. And I would defend you the same as I'm doing for her now."

The future Exalt shouldn't have expected less, but his devotion filled her with admiration. "You care about us that much?"

"I care for all of the Shepherds." The whitehead looked down in sadness. "Lucina, do you know what my life was like before I joined the Shepherds?"

Although confused at what seemed to be a sudden change in topic, Lucina went ahead and replied. "I thought you had amnesia."

"Exactly. No one, not even myself, knows who I am or what my past was. If Chrom hadn't found me, I most likely would've been a wandering soul, lost and alone in the world. The thought of living like that…no, that's no life at all. I might as well be dead." He finally picked up his head and looked directly inn Lucina's eyes. "But here, I have something to live for. Here, I have the Shepherds. And though we don't share blood, they're my family. They mean everything to me! They _are_ everything to me!"

This scene seems somewhat familiar to Lucina, and yet no less passionate. "Robin…"

"So that's why…even as something as petty as an insult angers me greatly. So can you do me a favor? Please…try to get along with my family. Promise?"

Lucina couldn't help but smile. If there was any reason why she would fall for Robin, it was because he was such a compassionate and strong-willed man as demonstrated by this moment. "I promise."

"That's my girl." Robin returned the smile, and Lucina would've blushed at that if she didn't have a sudden feeling of déjà vu. The former however, turned red-faced for her when he just realized something. "I'm sorry for dropping another speech on you. I was just trying to make a point. I'll try to make sure to not overdo them so I won't bother you all the time."

"It's quite alright Robin." assured Lucina. "I happen to like your speeches. They remind me of a friend of mine who would always come up with them. While his were entertaining, yours seem to hold more weight."

"Is that so?" smirked Robin. "Well hopefully I can reach his level one day."

Even Lucina had to giggle at that. "Sooo…I'll try to be nicer to Tharja?"

"She did save your life _and_ your mother's."

"Of course. And I assume she's helped before as well?"

Robin took a second to think about this. "Well she did give me an ego boost."

"An ego boost?" Lucina was curious and was hoping for some further explanation.

Robin scratched the back of his head bashfully. "Well, ever since I joined the Shepherds, I've always been surrounded by pretty girls, but none of them ever seem interested in me. So I always thought I was just some generic unattractive guy. It didn't help that I didn't really have any defined muscles until…" His body shook so hard, he looked like he was in the middle of an earthquake. "_**Frederick's Fanatical Fitness Hour**_. It definitely wasn't worth it."

Lucina wasn't sure how to react right now. Part of her wanted to just hold and comfort him and tell him that she always found him to be dashing and desirable to make him feel better. Another part wanted to explode in a jealous rage and get revenge on all the possible rivals for Robin's affections.

In the end, she decided to go for the "safest" route, and ask about Chrom's left-hand man. "Is training with Frederick really that bad?"

Robin looked her dead in the eye. "Lucina, I've never seen Grima or experienced the hellish future you suffered through. But I can guarantee you that Frederick's Fanatical Fitness Hour is _at least_ ten times more terrifying."

Lucina was taken aback by what she just heard. Memories of Grima still haunt her to this day, and Robin is now telling her that Frederick's training is far worse than the Fell Dragon's reign? Is that even possible?

Wait, could that be the solution to defeating Grima?

* * *

_Lucina's Imagination…_

"Come on now. Keep up the pace." Frederick casually ordered.

The great knight was standing with his arms folded behind his back. In front of him was Grima lying on his back doing sit-ups and seemed to be in a _great_ deal of pain.

"**HOW DO MORTALS DO THIS!?**" the colossal Fell Dragon bellowed in agony.

"Keep at it. You still have 40,000 more sit-ups to go."

"**THE BLACK HOLE WHERE MY HEART IS FEELS LIKE IT'S EXPLODING!**"

"Oh don't be such a baby. This is only just the warmup."

* * *

_The Real World…_

Lucina pushed that thought to the side. If only it were that simple.

Robin continued where he left off. "So just when I was about to accept that I'll be single forever, we recruit Tharja, the woman with the nicest body in the army, and she just throws herself at me and starts making love declarations. Sure I was creeped out, but it made me realize that maybe I have a shot with the ladies after all."

That sure wasn't the story Lucina expected. Or even wanted to hear. And that pleased smile on Robin's face certainly wasn't helping her mood. If she didn't know him any better, she would've assumed he was some kind of philanderer like her friend, Inigo. Thankfully, since Robin always turns Tharja down, she knew that wasn't the case.

Though now that she thinks about it, that does beg questioning. "If you like it that she comes on to you, why do you never accept her advances?" she asked, sounding bitterer than she intended.

Robin looked a little ashamed when he was asked that. "Well, while every man has always fantasized about spending the night with a woman like that, I don't want to be one of those guys who has meaningless one-night stands just for pleasure. I want to be with someone who I truly love." He now had an almost nostalgic look on his face, as if he's thought about this dream before. "Settle down with a nice girl who I love for her, and she loves me for me. And maybe have a child of my own. That's all I ever wanted."

'How sweet.' Lucina thought. This was without a doubt, the same Robin from her childhood. All he ever wanted was a family as wel— wait, did he say he wanted to settle down with a _nice_ girl?

"I'm a nice girl!" She blurted out loud without even thinking.

Her brain processed what she just said in no time flat, and her face felt like it was set ablaze with how much it was burning with embarrassment. Likewise, Robin decided at that moment to join the tomato-faced club with the girl.

"O-oh I…I d-didn't mean…I-I wasn't tr-trying to imply…" Lucina was shaking her hands in front of her, trying to explain herself.

"N-no…o-of course. I-it was just…a misunderstanding." Robin tried to help her out, while simultaneously trying to compose himself.

"Y-yes…that's it." They both turned their heads away from each other, thinking about what just happened and trying to push down their blushes. So far they weren't getting any results.

"W-we should…head back to camp. I'm pretty sure we have enough firewood by now." Robin suggested.

"R-right." Nothing else was said as they made their way back to camp.

However, none of them noticed a woman with black hair spying on the two behind a tree. Who else would it be besides Tharja? And boy was she livid.

This is unacceptable! How dare that girl walk side by side with _her_ Robin, having a nice chat with him, talking about plans for dinner. If they ever started holding hands, the sorceress might've incinerated the entire forest.

"Oh that girl will pay." Tharja muttered darkly. "She will pay dearly." Her hand on the trunk started glowing with dark magic, and began absorbing the tree's life force.

"Whoa, easy on the tree Sunshine." a voice called from above. "Wouldn't want me to fall on you now would we?"

Tharja looked up and saw Gaius sitting on a branch above her. "What are you doing Thief?"

"Just enjoying a little treat of some peanut-butter dipped chocolate." Indeed, Gaius had in his hands a chocolate bar and a jar of peanut-butter. He dipped his bar into the jar and took a bite out of his confection.

"What in the world made you come up with an unholy combination such as that?" Tharja asked, disgusted at what she was seeing.

"Eh, it just came to me." Gaius shrugged, taking another bite.

* * *

_Earlier…_

The ginger was walking in town along with the Annas, Sully, Miriel, and Henry. They were the ones chosen to be in the group to shop for provisions.

"And that over there is the clothier. They have some of the cutest dresses." Anna's sister was explaining the various shops around them. "And this right here is the blacksmith. But of course you can ignore him since you already have me."

Gaius was hardly paying attention and just continued to walk and munch on his chocolate bar. He was partly here to make sure they got a fair deal for what they're buying, but mainly he volunteered because he only had around forty percent of his usual stash and he needed to steal some more to replenish it.

If he had been paying attention however, he most likely wouldn't have bumped into some random guy and hit both of their foreheads. Gaius rubbed his before noticing that he dropped his chocolate bar…into the jar of peanut-butter the other guy was holding for some reason. The thief pulled it out and saw that his candy was coated with the creamy peanut substance.

"Ugh…" Gaius blanched, figuring that his snack was ruined.

The others took notice of this and wondered just what happened. "Who carries around peanut-butter with them?" questioned Sully.

"Oh that's the town drunk." explained Anna's sister. "The town hired him to make the citizens feel better about themselves by reminding them that they're not him."

"Aww, how considerate of the town." Henry cooed.

"No, that's just douchey." Sully put in her two cents.

"I don't care what his job is." Gaius said angrily. "Rummy here got peanut-butter in my chocolate!"

"Well you got chocolate in mah peanut-butta!" the town drunk poorly countered in his drunken state.

"I don't know what you're complaining about. That looks taaaasty~." Henry commented on the chocolate and peanut-butter combination.

"I have to admit, it does appear to be quite appetizing for a confectionary treat." agreed Miriel.

"_Translation: Shit looks good!_"

Gaius took a closer look at his candy bar. It honestly didn't look too bad now that he thinks about it. He decided it couldn't hurt to take a bite. Once he did, his face lit up in bliss, then his eyes began to shift back and forth.

"Look, more booze and peanut-butter!" the thief pointed behind the drunk.

"WHERE!?" The town drunk turned around and Gaius coldcocked him in the back of the head, knocking him out. Gaius immediately took the peanut-butter and ran from the scene as fast as he could.

The others were stupefied at what they just witnessed. "Really?" spoke Sully, not believing how far the ginger would go just for a sweet treat.

The Annas however both wore scheming smirks. "Sis, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" The Shepherd's Anna asked her sibling.

"I happen to know a thing or two about the candy market. I think they might be interested in a chocolate/peanut-butter combo." the sister replied.

"Hey uh…he gonna be okay?" Sully motioned to the drunk.

Miriel was already over at his body examining it. "I'm afraid not. He's been rendered unconscious."

"_Translation: Man he got knocked the fuck out!_"

* * *

_Present Time…_

"No you can't have any." Gaius told the dark mage.

"Never asked, never will." Tharja stated. "Now leave me be. I'm trying to plot here."

"Yeah, about that…" Gaius interjected. "Don't you think you should leave the lovebirds alone?"

"They are not lovebirds!" snapped Tharja. "If anything, that girl is a leech. Latching onto what's not hers and taking it away from me."

"Come on, anyone can see that Bubbles and Blue Jr. have chemistry."

"Continue that thought. See where it gets you. I'm thinking it'll get you somewhere between a 'fattening' and a 'sterile hex'."

"Are you actually gonna follow through with that threat this time." The ginger chuckled, remembering that Robin did point out that Tharja seemed to be all bark and no bite. He stopped though once he saw the dangerous glare he was giving her.

"Listen, if you really loved Bubbles, you'd want him to be happy, right?" Gaius tried to make the dark mage see reason.

"I do want him to be happy." Tharja stated. "That's why I must be with him. Because I'm the only one who can give him the happiness he deserves."

Gaius shook his head in disbelief. This woman sure had issues. "Look, you heard Bubbles. He already sees you as a friend. And let's be honest, that's more than what most of the others think of you. Don't go and ruin what you barely have already."

"I don't care what the others think. Robin is all that matters to me. But being just friends isn't enough. I want him to realize that I'm the only one who should ever matter to him. But that child from the future keeps clouding his judgment, and we can't have that now can we?"

Serious issues. "Come on Sunshine. Like the man said, you're one of the most attractive women there is. There are plenty of fish in the sea, and if you acted a little nicer, you'd get yourself quite the catch in no time."

"Why are you so insistent that I stop pursuing Robin?" A sudden thought popped up in the sorceress's head. "Wait, you better not be after him as well."

The thief couldn't help but snicker at that. "Heh, he wishes I swung that way. Nah, I'm mainly doing this because I'm now an eye witness to whatever you're scheming, and my conscience is gonna berate me if I don't at least try to talk you out of it."

"I have a hex that can get rid of that pesky conscience for you. Come and see me if you're ever interested." She then skulked off before Gaius could prattle on more about "what she's doing is wrong" and the like.

Gaius could only shrug over how this went. "Well, can't say I didn't try." He went to take another bite of his candy until he realized a problem. "Damn, no more chocolate."

* * *

_The Next Morning…_

Surprisingly, no noteworthy drama or events occurred throughout the rest of yesterday and most of this morning. The Shepherds had a normal dinner, went to sleep, woke up, and had a normal breakfast. This had to be some sort of record for them. By now, all their gear was packed up in caravans and they were ready to be on the move.

"Okay, we're all packed." Chrom noted, about to give his orders to all those under his command. "Alright Shepherds, our campaign against Valm begins—!"

"YOOOOO! HEEEEELP!"

"Apparently later!" Chrom turned around to see what the problem was.

He saw two men running towards the army. One had blue eyes and long black hair with a weirdly shaped bang sticking out from his widow's peak. The other had green eyes and a blonde bob cut.

"Yo! Yo! Are you dudes like an army!?" the black-haired man asked when they reached the Shepherds.

"We could like totally use your help bros!" the blonde chimed in.

"Uh, calm down you two." It was normal procedure for Chrom to get those who were requesting aid to relax, and this time he needed these two to _really_ relax because their speech patterns were throwing him off a little bit. "First off, who are you?"

"Oh, I'm Alvin." the black-haired man simply stated.

"And I'm Brett." replied the blonde.

"Okay, and what seems to be the problem."

"These bandits just showed up out of nowhere and started attacking the village!" exclaimed Alvin.

"It's not cool bro!" Brett added.

"It's so not cool bro!" agreed Alvin.

Everyone blinked at the two newcomer's behavior. "Um…alright then. We'll help." Chrom vowed. "How far is this village? Can we make it in time before there's too many casualties?"

"Oh don't worry about that, man." Alvin assured. "Our pal is defending the village right now. Hell, I bet he could take all those punks down, but he wanted us to get help anyways."

"Yo this dude's a badass!" Brett continued about their friend. "He's the Scion of Legends!"

Lucina was surprised at what she just heard. 'Could it be? It has to.'

"The Scion of Legends?" Robin questioned skeptically.

"Yeah dude! He's even got a sword hand!" Alvin hyped up the "Scion of Legends" even more.

'It is!' Lucina jumped for joy in her head.

"Sword hand?" Chrom repeated in confusion.

"Wait, so he has a sword for a hand?" questioned Lissa.

The two weird men now looked puzzled themselves. "Actually we're not sure why he calls it a sword hand." Alvin admitted. "It looks just like a normal hand to us yo."

"Yo, maybe his hand is so strong, that he can cut with it like a sword!" Brett guessed excitedly.

"Or maybe his hand can transform into a sword!" Alvin suggested an alternate possibility.

"Or maybe he fought a guy with a sword hand, tore it off, and now he uses it as a weapon!"

"**YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!**" both them were getting really excited over what the "sword hand" could be.

Chrom looked to the Shepherds to see if anyone could give him a clue as to what is up with these guys. All he received was a few shrugs in response.

"Okay we're wasting time, and time is money." piped up Anna's Sister. "Chrom, I think I know what village they're talking about. It's close to the town nearby, so it shouldn't be that far away."

"Thank you Anna." the Exalt turned back to Alvin and Brett. "Don't worry you two, we'll knock some sense into those bandits."

"_Translation: We're gonna slap their shit!_"

Almost all the Shepherds grumbled at the Translatorb. Strangely though, Alvin and Brett were now getting even more hype.

"Yeah man! I knew you dudes were legit!" exclaimed Alvin.

"Let's go slap their shit!" Brett declared.

"Yes…let's." Chrom was trying to keep his cool and marched forward. However, the two men halted him.

"Nah nah nah nah. We gotta hear you say it." Brett affirmed.

Chrom looked at them as if they were crazy (and he had a feeling that he wasn't too far off). "Are you serious?"

"Oh don't be like that dude. What are you, a pansy ass? We can't have any pansy asses on this mission!"

Chrom looked back to the Shepherds to see if any of them would know a way for him to get around this situation. Some of them just made hand gestures to tell him to just do it.

He gave an annoyed sigh before speaking. "We're going to slap their shit." he deadpanned with negative enthusiasm.

"**YEEEEEAAAAAH!**" Alvin and Brett raised their hands up high, basically asking the blue-haired man to high-five them.

Realizing they probably wouldn't let him go unless he did so, Chrom begrudgingly slapped the palms of their hands. Never has he felt so ashamed to high-five people.

"**YEEEEEAAAAAH!**" the two strangers screamed again and began racing towards the village without everyone.

Chrom shook his head and tried to block out what just happened from his mind. "Let's go everyone."

* * *

**I have that same black hole-heart condition that Grima has. Weird, huh? But yeah, that's our chapter, hopefully it turned out okay and you people like it. Especially since amongst the jokes and whatnot, these chapters have some pretty good morals in them. What are those morals you ask? Let's review them!**

**Chapter 1's moral: Booty is always better than boobies.**

**Chapter 2's moral: Pegasi make better ammunition than canonballs.**

**Chapter 3's moral: Sakurai's Chrom abuse will haunt the Exalt till the end of time.**

**Anyways, hopefully I can get better at this updating thing. Of course that's still difficult for me since there's not only some other stuff I always want to write, but I also still have a life to live. It's not a good life mind you, but I'm forced to live through it nonetheless.**

**Oh, and if you're those types of people who hate OCs, don't worry about Alvin and Brett. They're not important and exist solely for a few jokes in this chapter and the next.**

**Well that's it for now. Now if you excuse me, I have some work to do, which I'll probably blow off to play _Final Fantasy Type-0 HD_ so I can determine whether it's a good game or not. And I'll probably never come up with a final review, because I'll probably blow _that_ off just to get re-addicted to _Hyrule Warriors_ (why does that game have to be so fun!?).**

**P.S. Lucina being a snorer is actually canon. Want proof? Check out the SSB4 voice clips. She's not the biggest snorer, but she is louder than all the other female smashers. And some of the male smashers as well, including Robin (*valley girl talk* OMG! How embarrassing girlfriend!).**


	4. Family Reunion

**Chapter 4 – Family Reunion**

**Yeah yeah I know, it's been a while, I'm sorry! I've been just bogged down with things like work, friends, family, games, specifically which fighting game I should be focusing more on due to newly released content (either _Mortal Kombat X_, _Skullgirls_, or _SSB4_. I'd ask you people for advice, but no offense, I'm pretty sure you're all biased and will tell me to go for _SSB4_ simply because it's _Nintendo_. Which admittedly, is a decent argument), my mental instability, my emotional instability, y'know, boring shit.**

**But enough bitching about my life, we should be celebrating instead! Because in just three chapters, this story has reached over 100 followers, over 15,000 views, and somehow has not jumped the shark yet! And I have no one else to thank but you people for all of this. So let's party! *blows into noisemaker* *the forceback causes it to go in my mouth and choke on it* *swallows* Oh god, I swallowed it. That's never good.**

**Though I bet the real reason you're all celebrating is because of all the cool stuff revealed in that "Nintendo Direct" that you've all known about for a month. Including _Fire Emblem if_ where everyone is gonna pick the Nohr side (no seriously, look at _EVERY_ poll on the internet. It's more lopsided than _Mortal Kombat X_'s "Faction War"). _SMTXFE_ where they turned it into the most unapologetically fucking anime thing ever! Which makes me wanna ask two questions. 1) Why do I still want this? And 2) Why do I want this even more? *laughs***

**And best of all, the _Smash Ballot_! We can vote for _any_ video game character to be DLC! That's right people, we can finally get our lord and savior, Crash Bandicoot, into _Smash_! Wait, whaddya mean Crash Bandicoot isn't the greatest ever!? Who else would you vote for!? Oh yeah you're right, Shovel Knight is pretty awesome as well. Wait you don't care for Shovel Knight either!? What's wrong with you!? Alright, I'm sorry for raising my typing sounds, so how about this? You tell me either in the reviews or by PM who you want to be in _Smash_, and then I will promptly dis you on why that character is inferior to Crash Bandicoot and Shovel Knight. Then you'll not understand that I'm joking, and we'll end up getting into a big flame war where nothing will get accomplished (Everybody loses. YAY!).**

**I'd babble on more about cool news, but you're probably sick of these big author's notes, so let me just tell you three more things that will have obnoxiously long paragraphs. First off, remember when I said if I don't get enough votes for a certain pairing, I was gonna pull a dick move and do the one I wanted regardless of the few suggestions I got? Well guess what, I'm pulling the dick move. It's even established in this very chapter. As a consolation, I've decided to let you keep voting for the first generation pairings even though I said would stop accepting them right now. I figured we can figure out who goes with who as we go through with this.**

**Second, I'd like to dedicate this chapter to my two new convo pals: Johnny Olde, who I can only assume is the older brother of Johnny Yong Bosch, and FireEmblemMaster101. And you too can learn the basics of becoming a _Fire Emblem_ master if you purchase this guide for only $19.95! Ah you know what, let me save you guys some money and read off the first few steps listed inside. 1) Always play on "Lunatic+" on "Classic" mode. 2) Talk down to anyone who doesn't follow step 1. 3) Go for optimal pairings. This game isn't about love and character development. It's about breeding super soldiers. 4) Galeforce, all day, every day. 5) Constantly make fun of "Serenes Forest" user, shadowofchaos725.**

**And finally, you know the game _Bloodborne_? So you're a hunter where you kill monsters, such as wolves, with cool transforming weapons. I just figured out that game is the prequel to _RWBY_. Did I just blow your mind or what (Some day I'll learn to shut up about _RWBY_. Some day)? **

**Alright you can go read now. I'm gonna go get my stomach pumped.**

**Rating: T for violence, strong language, and mild sexual references**

* * *

The Shepherds continued to march towards the village at a more rapid pace than usual, led by Anna's sister and the two…"unique" villagers who requested their aid in the first place. Since the trek began, Alvin and Brett have been chatting with each other nonstop in their weird speech patterns. At this point, the Shepherds could sum up their entire conversation as such:

"Dude!"

"Bro!"

"Dude!"

"Bro!"

"Dude!"

"Bro!"

Needless to say, the majority of the army was annoyed. But right now, the exhaustion of practically running from two towns over was a bigger complaint.

"Chrooooom!" Lissa began to whine. "Can we take a break?"

"We can't afford to rest." Chrom denied his sister's request. "Not unless we want to save that village."

"Hey I wanna save them too, but I'm not built to run fifty miles or whatever distance I'm exaggerating."

"Wearing a giant bird cage around your waist can't help." Robin joked, trying to take their minds off their fatigue, especially since he was feeling pretty winded himself.

"Neither can doing nothing but lounging around and drinking tea with Maribelle during the two-year time of peace." Chrom piled on.

Lissa pouted and was about to retort before Frederick strode up to her side on his war horse.

"Milady, I have offered many a time to double our private training, yet you always decline." the great knight mentioned. "Surely you could benefit from it, even if it's just a stamina boost."

Lissa visibly shuddered while Robin did so internally. Frederick's normal training was enough to incapacitate lesser men. And to double that…

"Frederick, you're my friend and I appreciate everything you've done for me. But I'm not suicidal." the cleric stated bluntly.

"Nevertheless, the fact that you are this tired already is a clear indication of how badly out of shape you are."

"That's real easy to say when you're riding a horse and not suffering like the rest of us."

"I only ride Oifey for mounted combat." Frederick motioned to his steed. "If need be, I'm prepared to carry him for the rest of this campaign to serve milord and lady better."

"Is he seriously capable of that?" Lucina asked out loud.

"I sure hope not." Robin admitted with a tremble in his voice. "Because if so, I'm afraid he'll try to make us carry horses as part of his 'fitness hour'."

"Okay how about this?" Lissa started to make her proposal. "If we double our private training, then we have to also double our relaxing lessons."

Frederick looked uncomfortable. "Perhaps we have already found the perfect balance. Excuse me, milady." And with that, he slowed down Oifey so they were behind the foremost group again.

"That's what I thought." the blonde princess smirked. "But seriously, we're not gonna be able to save the village if tire ourselves out before we get there. Can we at least slow down?"

Alvin and Brett finally stopped talking when they heard this and looked at Lissa incredulously.

"Aw hell naw!" Alvin exclaimed. "We cannot slow down!"

"Yo if anything, we need to pick up the pace!" Brett added.

"I thought your 'Scion of Legend' could handle these bandits all on his own." Tharja scoffed. For some reason, she was up with the front group standing too close to Robin for Lucina's comfort (then again, 100 ft. away is still too close for her).

"He can!" confirmed Brett. "That's why we gotta hurry!"

"We _cannot_ miss any of the action." Alvin asserted, causing the Shepherds up front to give the two a weird look after hearing their reasoning.

"Actually," Lucina spoke up. "If it's not too much trouble, I would also like for us make haste as well."

Lissa looked shocked and hurt in the most outrageous way possible. "WHA—!? How could you betray your own family like that, Lucina!? Your poor aunt is dying of exhaustion, and you want us to run faster!?"

"I-it's not my intention to cause you pain Aunt Lissa." Lucina tried to assure her aunt, not realizing that she was in much better condition than she let on. "It's just…I know who this 'Scion of Legend' is."

Now the spotlight was on Lucina. "You do?" questioned Chrom.

Robin suddenly figured out what this could mean. "Is he—?"

"Yes." Lucina cut him off, knowing exactly what he was about to ask. "He is one of my friends who came with me from the future." She turned her head to face Alvin and Brett. "This 'Scion of Legend', his name's Owain, correct?"

"Dude, this chick knows Owain!" Brett repeated what was just revealed to Alvin.

"Yo! And he's from the future too!" Alvin proclaimed. "That explains everything!"

"I'd ask how, but I fear that would just raise more questions." Tharja snarked.

"He must be a really good friend if you want to see him that badly." Robin noted.

"It has been years since I've seen any one of them, so I suppose I am a bit anxious." the future Exalt admitted. "But yes, he is someone I am happy to call both a friend, and a cousin."

"Wait, cousin?" Chrom questioned his daughter again. He received a happy nod from her in response. "Then that would mean—"

"He's my son!" cheered Lissa. "Oh this is so wonderful! I get a cute kid of my very own!"

"Not only that, your son's a cool guy." stated Alvin. "How lucky can you get? You should be proud."

"We should like totally celebrate later." Brett suggested before facing Lucina. "But first, you totally gotta tell us more about Owain, girl! Like how many bad guys got punked by his awesomeness!?"

"And what kind of sick moves does he have!?" Alvin asked excitedly.

"Hey busters!" Lissa raised her voice. "I'm his mother, so I get first dibs on questions about him."

Strangely, that made the two men quiet down and obey the healer's wishes.

"Sorry Mrs. Owain's mom." apologized Alvin.

"Moms do get first dibs." acknowledged Brett.

"That's better." Satisfied with their behavior, Lissa turned to her niece with a big grin. "Sooo…what's he like?"

Lucina thought for a bit about how to describe her relative. "He's...well, he's quite colorful."

"Hmm...I'm not sure I want to know what that means." Lissa decided.

Robin and Chrom however, decided to think about what Lucina meant by this. The tactician, figuring that Lucina usually speaks in literal terms, figured that this meant Owain just wears very colorful clothing to the point that he looks like a walking rainbow.

'Huh.' he mused. 'Wouldn't be the strangest person we've ever met.'

Chrom on the other hand, figured the colorful aspect lied in the language department. And not in the good way, for that would mean dealing with another Translatorb.

"Oh that'll be fun." he muttered under his breath.

"It's not as bad as you think Aunt Lissa." reassured Lucina. "Personally, I find his mannerisms quite intriguing. The yarns he spins are always entertaining, and it takes a lot of creativity to come up with all of those performances he acts out."

"Ooh, so he's into theatre?" Lissa inquired. "My little Owain, the actor."

"He certainly wouldn't seem out of place as one." Lucina confessed. "Though he insists that his true calling is the way of the swordsman. And once you witness his prowess in battle, you'll find it hard to argue with him. I can guarantee he's one of the best you'll ever see."

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" hollered Alvin.

"That's our main man, Owain!" Brett whooped. The two pals high-fived.

"Well what are we waiting for!? Let's hurry up and go meet my adorable son!" Lissa declared with newfound vigor.

"I'm afraid we can't do that." said Chrom.

"WHAT!?" the "bros" and Lissa yelled, stupefied at what they just heard.

"Oh I see how it is." The Exalt's sister's bitterness in her tone was palpable. "Whenever I wanna take a break, you work me like a dog. But the first time I ever take initiative, you tell me no? You'll do anything to torture your little sister, huh?"

"While I'm glad you're willing to work hard for once, we really can't go any faster."

"Why not!?"

"Because we're already here." Piped up Anna's sister in front of them all.

Everyone stopped to see that they were indeed at the village, and they could tell it was the right village because of the people who looked like typical bandits swarming around the area, while those who looked like normal citizens appeared frightened and terrorized.

"Oh." Lissa simply said. "Time sure flies when you're gushing about your child."

The main attraction that caught the Shepherds' eyes was a lanky man whose appearance just oozed slime. He was facing a young woman who had no means of escaping due to the two ruffians behind her.

"So what do you say, darling?" The sleazy man spoke. "Care to reconsider our offer?"

"W-…we've already told you, we're not interested." the scared woman responded. "Even more so now that you've done this to all of us. Please…just leave us alone."

"Such a shame." said the man. At this point, everyone could tell he was the ringleader. "You could've stopped all of this if you just agreed." He turned his head to one of his men. "Rudger, kill the girl."

The barbarian named Rudger raised his axe, prepared to strike down the woman. Robin gave Tharja the command to blast him with dark magic, but before she could launch her attack, a loud voice rang out, catching everybody off guard.

"**RADIANT…DAAAAAAWN!**"

They looked up at the sky where the noise came from, and found the silhouette of a person holding what appears to be a sword, right in front of the sun's glow. The shadow came hurtling towards the ground until it landed and simultaneously cut Rudger in two with a vertical slash.

At this moment, the woman in captivity took this time to escape, but the leader and remaining barbarian didn't seem to notice or even care. The other bandits in the village moved closer to their position.

"Who…the bloody hell are you?" the bandit leader inquired.

The shadowed person, who they now could tell was a young man, stood tall with a cocky smirk on his lips. His most noticeable attributes were the steel sword he wielded, the yellow longcoat he wore that was lined with fur on the ends of its sleeves as well as the openings of his boots, and the mop of brown hair on his head.

"Can you not tell?" the young man asked, although it sounded as if he was really just toying with them? "Consider yourselves fortunate. For if you knew of me, you fiends would be quaking in fear."

The leader was probably supposed to take him seriously, but he just looked blankly at the newcomer. "…What?"

The young man adopted a dynamic pose and began a speech where he got progressively louder the longer he spoke.

"I am the Beacon of Hope. I am the Ally of Justice. I am the Scion of Legend! With my sword hand, I shall lay waste to those who wrong the innocent, and cleanse them in the light of righteous fury! I am Owain! Your end has come!"

Owain remained in his stance, trying to look as valiant as possible. However, all those around him stared in awkward silence as if he was some kind of nutjob (they might not be wrong).

"Think this boy needs to put down the bottle." the other ruffian commented.

"And this is coming from the guy who caused the holiday party fiasco." the leader concurred.

"Never gonna let me live that down are ya?"

The Shepherds' first impressions weren't that much different. "That's…my son?" Lissa wondered aloud.

"I can see what you meant by him being colorful, Lucina." said Robin. "Although, this isn't exactly what I expected."

"Same here." admitted Chrom. "But seeing him now, I think my imagined version would give me less headaches."

"**YEEEEEAAAAAH!**" Alvin and Brett cheered, continuously pumping their fists in the air.

"That was so epic, dude!" shouted Alvin.

"Now _that's_ how you make an entrance!" exclaimed Brett.

Owain heard all of this and a pleased grin reached his face. "Oh ho! Do I hear the voices of my newfound companions, Sir Alvin and Sir Brett?"

"You know it bro!" Alvin called out.

"And we brought reinforcements too!" Brett added.

Owain began to turn around to see his new allies that would be aiding him. "I knew I could count on you two to— guh!?" He was at a loss of words when he realized that the Shepherds were with them. "A-…a-…are…those…?"

"The best damn army ever? Hell yeah!" bragged Alvin.

Brett pointed his thumb at Chrom. "Led by Commander Shit Slapper!"

All but the most serious of the Shepherds couldn't help but at least snicker (or at most, howl with laughter) at the nickname for their leader. Of course, Chrom was none too happy with the derision.

"That's not my name." The disgruntled Exalt glared at Owain's friends before he regained his composure and started addressing to the bandits. "I am Chrom. Leader of the Shepherds, and Exalt of Ylisse."

"Ah, Lord Chrom, I've heard much about you and the Shepherds. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." the leader politely greeted. "Though why are you here? Shouldn't you be off liberating Valm from the Conqueror or something? You have no business here."

"Our 'business' is wherever there's trouble. Whether it's dealing with the Conqueror or bandits such as yourselves, we'll always be there to set things right."

"Bandits?" The leader let out a chuckle. "Oh Lord Chrom, this is merely just a misunderstanding."

"Is that so?" Chrom didn't even try to hide his skepticism.

"Yes it is. Allow me to introduce ourselves. My name is Gecko, and we're not bandits. We're insurance salesman."

"Insurance salesman?"

"Why do I have a feeling that's the same thing?" Robin commented.

"Yes, insurance salesman." Gecko repeated. "We travel town to town offering bandit insurance. With us, fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more of your belongings from bandit raids."

Alvin and Brett gave each other confused looks. "Dude, is that a good deal?" the former asked his partner.

"I actually don't know bro." confessed Brett.

"And you convince villagers to purchase your insurance by ransacking them and threatening their lives yourselves?" Chrom accused the head sales rep.

"Well any good businessman knows that when a customer says no, you don't give up there." Gecko simply stated as if it was no big deal. "So we find that the best sales pitch is to show just how sudden and devastating a bandit attack can be."

This man seemed to have an answer for everything, but Chrom was not deterred in his decision. "Well then, let me introduce to you the Shepherds' brand insurance for bandit-like insurance salesman. It comes with low interest rates and 100% money back guarantee."

Robin raised his eyebrow at his friend. "You don't know much about insurance policies, do you Chrom?" He questioned.

"I don't need to. I have advisors for that." the Exalt argued in his defense. "All that matters is that like a good neighbor, the Shepherds are there."

Gecko sneered at the bold declaration against him. "And I suppose you, your motley crew, and this boy with rocks in his head standing there like a slack-jawed idiot will be the ones to stop us?"

Chrom retook notice of Owain, who like Gecko said, was standing there with his mouth hung open. Considering this guy was most likely his nephew, Chrom decided to make sure he was at least alright. "Um…are you okay?"

That question finally seemed to bring Owain to his senses, and he managed to force out the words from his throat. "U-…U-…Uncle Chrom?"

"Good, you're still with us." smiled Chrom.

"He must be still trying to get a grasp with the fact that he's seeing all of you alive." Lucina spoke up. "I know I was like that at first."

"Lucina?" Owain gasped, laying eyes on his cousin that he hasn't been in contact with for two years.

"If that's true, you hid it well. I remember you being cool and collected when you saved my life." Lissa noted.

"MUM!?" Owain yelped after seeing his mother, who has been long dead in his time, alive and well.

The theatrical swordsman stood with his mouth agape for another split second before it slowly closed into a small smile. Then he began to chuckle, which gradually grew into a hearty laugh.

"Oh glorious days! Truly this is destiny's will! The heroes of present and future join forces!" With a flourish, he turned around and reached his arm out towards the enemies. "Now do you see how powerless you are!? With the combined might of the valorous Shepherds and I, the Scion of Legend, there is no foe we cannot conquer! But I am not unkind. Surrender your evil ways, and I will let you go free."

"Oh you know they're not gonna surrender!" Alvin stated, hardly containing his excitement for an upcoming battle.

"Yo, someone's about to get _fucked_!" Brett hyped up.

Everyone else however, were once again staring at Owain. Looks like this is the norm with him.

"Is this guy for real?" Lissa asked out loud.

"…I am so lost right now." Confessed Chrom. "What is he even talking about?"

"Excuse us." Miriel called out from the back of the group to their new ally. "Could you converse in a language that the majority of us can comprehend?"

"_Translation: English motherfucker, do you speak it!?_"

"Maybe we should just start over." Lissa suggested, ignoring what the Translatorb just said. "So who are you?"

Owain turned to his mother, prepared to go on another spiel. "Blessed Mother! I am the hero you and father have sired! I have cross oceans of time to find—"

"Yeah I'm gonna stop you right there." Lissa interrupted. "You really have to start talking normally."

"I'm your kid from the future." her son simply stated, completely out of character.

"See, was that so hard?" the cleric smiled. Just then, the sudden realization hit her. "Wait, so you really are my son?"

"Indeed I am!" Owain confirmed, back to his normal self. He was about to speak again, until Lissa tackled him and grasped him into a somewhat painful bear hug.

"Oh I can't believe what an adorable son I have!" she squealed. "I'm so happy to finally see you!"

"As am I Mother. For I have missed you and your warm and tender crushing hugs."

"We have sooo much to talk about! Like what do you like to do? What am I like in the future? Are there any girls that you like that I should know about?"

As this was going on, Gecko continued to watch them with an annoyed look on his face. Despite his annoyance, he was never one to not take advantage of an opportunity. And seeing that the parent and child were distracted right now, this was the perfect time to strike.

"Jones, get over here." He ordered to one of his men. A dark mage walked up to his side. "Burn them on our deal."

"Not everything has to be a business reference sir." remarked Jones.

"Just do it."

Jones pulled out a tome and outstretched his arm at the Shepherds.

"Elfire!"

A large fireball was launched at the reunited mother and son. Fortunately, while Lissa was mindlessly chatting away, Owain noticed the incoming attack from the corner of his eye. With a forceful shove of his free hand, he pushed her away from him and lunged at the spell.

Lissa stumbled backwards until she was caught by Chrom. It was then she noticed the Elfire magic and her son heading towards it. "Owain!"

Owain raised his sword above his head, brought it down on the fireball, and did what was thought to be impossible.

He cut through the flames.

"Whoa!" Lissa gasped.

"Whoa." breathed out Chrom.

"Whoa." Robin was taken aback.

"Whoa." Lucina stared at the display wide-eyed.

"Huh." Tharja said with dull surprise.

"**YOOOOOOOOOO!**" No need to indicate who shouted that.

The fire split off to the sides as soon as it touched the edge of the blade, never once making contact with the swordsman. The only thing set ablaze was the ground around him, which combined with the stance he was in, finally created the image of a legendary warrior he was trying to achieve.

"H-…How?" Gecko spoke, him and the rest of his men staring in complete awe at Owain and for once seeing him as a possible threat. "How did you cut through fire?"

Owain looked up and put on a cocky grin. "Your fire may be hot, but my passion burns hotter than any flame! Not even a thousand suns could scorch my persona, as I—"

"Oh for the love of money!" Regaining his composure, Gecko was now fed up with all the theatrics from this headache-inducing man and turned to his fellow "insurance salesmen". "10% bonus to whoever shuts him up." And with that, they all began to charge forward.

"You can try, but justice always prevails!" Owain pointed his sword to the sky. "Onwards Shepherds! Onwards to glory!" He ran towards his adversaries, not even waiting or checking to see if anyone was advancing with him.

"Hey, it's my job to give commands to this army." complained Robin.

"Yeah…but I think he's better at it than you." Lissa asserted.

"You can't be serious." Robin couldn't tell if the healer was just proud of her son, or if she was trying to get his goat.

"I have to admit, he does it with much more flair and finesse." smirked Chrom.

"Ugh. Let's just deal with these bandits for now."

*_Cue battle music_*

Two ruffians and Owain rushed at each other, the former with their axes raised high, and the latter with his sword to the side. The moment they came close enough, axes and sword clashed with each other, their wielder's trying to overpower each other. Strong he may be, Owain could feel himself giving way to his opponents' strength, so he hopped back a bit away from his enemies, ending the weapon struggle prematurely. The swordsman then took a risk and dashed forward, stopped when he was in between the two barbarians and tried cut the one on his right with an upward slash. The ruffian managed to block it with his own retaliating swipe, then the one on the left tried to attack Owain while he was off-guard, but he managed to parry it.

He continued to clash blades with the two brutes while stationed in the middle of them, and after deflecting at least eight hits from each of them, they went in to strike at the boy simultaneously. Owain ducked at the right time, causing the incoming axes to lock together, rendering the axmen defenseless. Owain took advantage of this and did a full spin, slicing their stomachs wide open. With his adversaries clutching their guts and trying to cling onto their lives, the man from the future raced forward to take on their leader.

"Tsk." Gecko tutted. "Get that moron. I want him dead yesterday." He started to run away behind his men, trying to create as much distance between himself and the "Scion of Legend".

"Get back here fiend!" Owain called out.

Jones the dark mage moved to the spot where his boss once was and held out his hand again.

"Elfire!"

Another fireball was launched, and just like before, Owain was ready for it. Continuing his charge, he thrusted his sword forward and pierced through the flame, once again somehow not getting singed, though his blade was now glowing red with heat. He never stopped moving, and once the fire dissipated, he stabbed right through Jones's palm and into his arm. The dark mage wailed in agony, and his volume doubled when Lissa's son cut open the limb to free his weapon, causing him to stagger in pain. Owain then lobbed off his head, silencing him for good, and resumed his chase for Gecko.

The first two ruffians have keeled over by now, and Vaike and Libra rushed into the fray, grabbing their bodies along the way. There was another dark mage who stood in their path and unleashed a Ruin spell at the powerhouses. They raised the enemies' corpses to protect themselves from the dark magic, which they did absorb, but took critical damage as shown by the holes in their flesh. The enemy mage let loose another Ruin spell, but this time Vaike and Libra sidestepped it and split apart from each other. They flanked the magic user and rammed him on both of his sides with their human shields, disorienting him.

Vaike tossed his carcass aside and tackled the dark mage to the ground, getting in a few good punches while he was down. He then sprung up, wrapped his arms around the man's legs, lifted him up above himself and suplexed him back to the ground. Libra then took out his hammer and smashed the mage's upper body.

Once their foe was dispatched, Libra asked his partner a fairly important question. "Vaike, where's your axe?"

"Can't find it." Vaike simply answered. "I must've dropped it somewhere."

"Really? Again?" the war monk sighed exasperatedly.

"Don't get your long flowing locks in a knot. Teach'll just find another one."

A loud battle cry caught their attention as a barbarian came barreling towards them, preparing to land an overhead swing on Vaike. The shirtless man avoided the attack, and the ruffian's axe was buried into the dirt. Vaike gave a hard kick to the guy's elbow, causing his arm to break and let go of his weapon. The blonde then grabbed hold of the free axe, unlodged it from the ground, and cut down the previous threat.

"There, problem solved." Vaike claimed. He went back into the battle, with Libra sighing and shaking his head before following.

Somewhere else in the village, Ricken was running towards three barbarians who were doing the same. The brutes thought they could easily stomp all over some little kid, but they didn't expect him to have wind magic. And they certainly didn't expect that he would use it not to blast them with it, but instead at the ground behind him, propelling himself airborne, leaping over the ruffians, and landing a decent distance away from them. Ricken then kept swiping to the right at the air with his wind magic, generating a miniature tornado around the brigands, blowing them into the air.

Miriel then came quickly to the spot where they once were and launched an Elthunder spell straight at the men above, shocking them to a crisp. She walked away so the charred bodies would miss her when they came falling down.

Three more ruffians came sprinting up to the mages. Ricken and Miriel swapped out their current tomes for fire ones and shot flames in front of their enemies' feets, creating a wall of fire to stop them. As the axmen paused in their tracks, they didn't notice another figure coming up behind them.

"Boo!" Henry chirped up.

"AAAH!" the three barbarians screamed, turning around to see the dark mage face-to-face.

"_Translation: Surprise motherfucker!_"

"AAAH!" the barbarians screamed again.

They shook off their momentary fear and hastily attacked Henry, but he kept managing to avoid each of their swings and shouted "Woohoo!" every time he did so. This only irritated the men further and their slashes grew more and more uncoordinated, making them even easier to dodge. One man tried to land in a horizontal slice, but Henry rolled away, ended up behind his attacker, and then lunged at him, grabbing him by the throat with one hand choking him. The dark mage laughed and channeled some magic through his palm, causing the adversary he was strangling to burst into flames. Still cackling, Henry jumped up and spun around the burning man by his neck until he was standing behind him, and kicked him in the back, sending him forward to lay roasting at his frightened comrades' feet.

"If you thought that was cool, wait'll you see this." Henry chatted. He started conjuring up a fireball in his hands, which split apart into three smaller ones. The brigands went into a defensive stance, prepared for whatever magic the madman had in store for them.

That is until Henry just ended up juggling the fireballs and started singing some music out of a circus, in which case they lowered their guard.

"Doot doot doot-doot-doot-doot doot doot doot-doot-doot-doot doot doot doot-doot-doot-doot doot doot doot-doot-doot-doot~" Henry sang.

Having enough of this, the remaining two barbarians soon charged forward to avenge their fallen ally. Henry stopped singing and threw one of his fireballs at his opponents, who eluded it effortlessly. He then tossed the other two fireballs high up, and shoved his hands into the assaulting men's chests once they got close enough. He unleashed a point-blank Ruin spell on them, sending them hurtling next to the flaming corpse. Henry then did a 180° spin as soon as the fireballs came back down and backhanded both of them, making them fly towards the downed ruffians, setting them on fire just like their friend.

"TOASTY!" Henry said aloud in a falsetto voice.

Elsewhere, three enemy myrmidons kept up their guard while scouting for any of the Shepherds. Somehow, they failed to notice the sound of a horse galloping at them until they heard a loud battle cry above them. They looked around in the air and found Sully twirling her spear over her head, and before any of them could react, she came crashing down on one of them while impaling him right in the heart. She spun around her weapon once by its hilt and managed to kick another swordsman away. The cavalier then pulled her lance out from the body and started dueling with the third myrmidon. Each fighter kept parrying each other's attacks until the second swordsman rejoined the skirmish and fought alongside his comrade, but Sully struggled no less. She kicked the third enemy in the gut, staggering him, then pushed the long side of her lance's hilt up against the second one's throat and flipped over him, standing back-to-back and putting him in somewhat of a reverse chokehold with her weapon. She jostled her spear to the side hard, snapping his neck, and in that same motion, she made a wide sweep with her lance, managing to slit the final opponent's throat.

As Sully was admiring her handiwork, a fourth myrmidon was creeping up behind her, poised to get in a stealth kill. However, the moment he brought down his sword, his strike was intercepted by another, belonging to Stahl. The male cavalier slashed his own sword upwards, knocking the assailant's weapon out of his hand and into the air. Then Stahl kicked the swordsman in the back of his shin, tripping him up and sending him falling to the ground on his back. The sword in the air dropped back down, and the green knight caught it in a reverse grip and used it to stab his opponent in the chest, ending him.

Sully looked to the man who just saved her life. "So…did I step up my game?" Stahl asked with a grin.

The red knight smirked. "Better." She suddenly threw her lance and it went sailing past the side of Stahl's head. It ended up deflecting an incoming throwing axe and started spinning higher and higher in midair. Sully climbed on top of Stahl in two steps, jumped off of him like a springboard, caught her lance in the air, and threw it at the enemy axman, killing him in one shot.

Sully landed safely and turned her head to her companion. "But not good enough." Stahl could only give a bashful grin in response.

Near where the Shepherds originally started in this battle, a group of several bandits were running towards the Annas, who were just standing their ground with coy smiles.

"So sis, you wanna set the bait, or spring the trap?" the Shepherds' Anna politely asked her sister.

"I think we have enough resources to do both. Even if it does seem like overkill." the sister answered.

The first Anna nodded and they both put their hands in their pockets. "Hey Mr. 'Insurance salesmen'! How about some shiny coins if you leave us alone!?"

The girls took out handfuls of coins and tossed them high above the ruffians, causing them to stop, gaze, and begin to reach for the money. The redheads then pulled out their Levin swords, twirled them a bit, and then crossed them over their heads. This caused lightning to come crashing down on the conductible metal pieces, chaining the bolts together and forming an electric net. All the barbarians got caught in it, and were zapped to death. The Annas high-fived at their work.

"We bad." Anna bragged.

"We bad." her sister repeated.

Back in the village, Tharja sashayed forward, not showing any care about what was going on around her, including the enemy dark mage a good distance in front of her. Said mage launched a Nosferatu spell at her, but she caught it in her hand without even taking a break in her steps and flung it right back at him. The opposing sorcerer seized the spell just like she did, threw it at her again, and walked towards her. Tharja simply grabbed it again and shot it back at him with more force, and he did the same. Back and forth the Nosferatu spell went between the two dark mages, until they were standing in front of each other with dark magic in between their hands. They then both jumped back as the spell exploded. The enemy dark mage took a battle stance while Tharja just inspected her nails, seemingly finding them more interesting. Just then, Panne in her beast form sprang out of nowhere, jumped over her ally, and began fighting the adversary herself.

Figuring Panne had this under control, Tharja looked around the battlefield to see where the man of her dreams may be. She saw him fighting alongside Lucina, with the two of them duking it out with several barbarians and working in perfect harmony. Soon, one ruffian was about to get in a lethal blow on the princess, but Robin grabbed her hand in time and pulled her inside his arm's grasp with a twirl, as if they were dancing, saving her from the attack. Then with his free arm, Robin raised his Levin sword and called down a lightning bolt onto the barbarian, frying him. Once he was dispatched, Robin and Lucina looked to each other and immediately blushed once they realized the position they were in, and promptly forced themselves apart. They kept taking awkward glances at each other before they silently went back to fighting.

The whole scene angered Tharja greatly to the point she was gritting her teeth and emitting a fierce growl. A barbarian snuck up behind her and raised his axe, but without even looking back, the sorceress grabbed his face and started sapping his energy with a Nosferatu. Once he was completely drained, Tharja slammed him to the ground. She was not in the mood.

Meanwhile, Panne was constantly clawing at the chest of the knocked down dark mage from earlier, despite him being mauled to death at this point. A brigand with a throwing axe came up in front and was about to get in a direct shot on the Taguel's head, but Panne noticed him and spun around, delivering a hard kick with her hind legs and sending the ruffian flying. He only stopped the moment he was caught in the powerful jaws of Minerva. The wyvern tossed the body in her mouth up in the air, catching it again with a loud crunch, grinding her meal between her teeth before swallowing.

Her rider, Cherche, ordered her mount to turn around, where they came face-to-face with another wyvern rider.

"And why would 'insurance salesmen' have a wyvern?" the rosette asked half skeptically, half sarcastically.

"He's our mascot." answered the other rider.

"Well then, let us show you our 'mascot'." Cherche smirked. She and Minerva flew up high in the air, and in her place came Nowi in her dragon form jetting towards the two new opponents. She did a full spin, knocking the rider off his mount with her tail, and in that same swift motion, she grabbed the wyvern's head and smashed it to the dirt, disorienting it. Nowi then lifted its cranium up, forced its mouth open with her claws, and breathed a fireball down its throat, burning its insides.

"CLARENCE! NOOO!" the rider grieved for his mount. Just then, Gaius came up from behind and latched onto his back, getting in a diagonal cut on the front of his torso, taking him out for good.

The thief scoped his surroundings to see if there were any more enemies, and found a berserker heading towards him. Gaius tried to land in a jumping slash on the brute, but the bigger man caught the ginger in midair by his throat with one hand. The berserker headbutted Gaius, sending the latter into a bit of a daze, and chucked him through a nearby window of one of the houses, shattering the glass.

Still on the ground, Gaius tried to recompose himself and noticed a family of the villagers cowering in fear in the corner. Before the ginger could reassure them that everything was fine, the berserker walked through the doorway, prepared to bring his axe down on the thief. Not only did Gaius manage to roll away in time, but he also swiped some of the broken glass on the floor. He threw the glass at his assailant, getting it lodged in his chest and causing him to stagger. The ginger then slid under his legs, slicing them off as he did so, making him fall on his stumps. Gaius quickly stood up, twirled the sword in his hand a bit, and then stabbed the huge brigand right in the back of the skull, with the other end of the blade coming out of his face. He was dead for sure, and it was shown as he fell down lifelessly as soon as Gaius removed his sword.

But the candy lover had no time to rest as he heard and just barely avoided an Elthunder spell that just whizzed past his head. He looked through the doorway and saw a dark mage coming by, charging up another spell.

"Everyone! Get down!" Gaius ordered the family. They dropped to the floor as commanded, as the thief hopped over a wooden table in the back. The moment the dark mage launched another Elthunder, Gaius flipped the table so it would absorb the electricity. Once that passed, the ginger once again attempted another jumping slash…only to have another sword pierce through the mage's chest, killing him before Gaius could have a chance.

Behind the body happened to be Gregor, who took out his sword from the corpse with a big grin. "Oi! Thief owes Gregor!"

"I had it under control." Gaius assured with a small glare. "But fine, I'll buy you a drink." He turned to the family still on the floor of the house. "Barricade the door and find whatever you can to defend yourself with." he told them. And with that, both orange-haired men left.

The eldest looking one of the family members, most likely the father, watched them go before turning to his son. "You heard him. Bartholomew, go get my old sword."

Back in the battle, Owain had just fended off another rogue, and continued to search for that slippery Gecko. In his vicinity, he saw his mother tending to the wounds of Donnel. Thanks to her staff and expertise, they were healed quickly. The farm boy thanked her and was off to battle again. While Lissa was watching Donnel leave, a barbarian was rushing towards her, about to attack her unnoticed.

"MOTHER LOOK OUT!" Owain cried out.

Lissa caught her son's warning in time and turned around and blocked the overhead strike with her staff. She was putting all her might into holding her ground so she wouldn't be overpowered, but it looks like she was struggling. Owain was about to jump in and save her, but then he saw his mother turn her face to him and gave him a smile and a wink. The brown-haired swordsman knew that this meant she would be fine, for she has given him that same expression many a time in the future.

The cleric then stomped hard on the barbarian's foot, causing him to bite his lip so he wouldn't shout in pain. Lissa then kept stomping on that same foot in rapid fire succession, making the ruffian more hurt, but he still bit his lip and held his position, although Lissa could feel that there was no more force pushing on her. The blonde hopped up and kneed the brute right in the gut, making him double over in agony. Lissa then smacked him hard in the side of his face with her staff, then delivered another blow to the other side. Finally, the girl jumped up and whacked him on the crown of head, taking care of him.

Owain smiled proudly at his mother's accomplishment until he was approached by Frederick on his horse (who happened to have two heads stuck in his lance) and Sumia and Chrom riding on the former's pegasus.

"We'll make sure milady stays safe." Frederick assured the myrmidon as Chrom hopped off his wife's pegasus. "You go on ahead."

Owain gave a confident nod in understanding and went off to face Gecko.

*_Pause battle music_*

As this was all happening, Alvin and Brett were watching from afar, whooping and hollering as the action went on.

"YOOOOOOOOOO! This is the coolest!" Alvin cheered.

"Dude, my hype boner is like at full chub right now!" Brett exclaimed.

"Did you see when that blonde dude did a freaking wheelbarrow suplex on that one guy!?"

"And then that other blonde dude went in for the tag team!"

"Remember when that funny dude just started trolling!?"

"Yo and that one chick took on like three dudes at once!"

"And that one bro threw glass as a weapon!"

"How did we even see that!? It was indoors!"

"It was too awesome _not_ to be seen!"

"You're right! What was I thinking bro!?"

"Dude!"

"Bro!"

"Dude!"

"Bro!"

"Dude!"

"Bro!"

Before they got any more excited (and start frothing at the mouth as a result), they noticed their pal, Owain, finally caught up to Gecko and was about to confront him.

"Yo look over there! It's the grand finale!" Alvin pointed out.

"Oh Owain's gonna body him! You know he's gonna body him!" Brett hyped up.

*_Resume battle music_*

Owain and Gecko stood face to face with each other, swords drawn, each one ready for the other to make the first move. At least that was the case for Gecko. As for Owain…

"Ah yes, the fated duel! The time to do battle is now!" the swordsman began speaking. "You ne'er-do-wells must atone for your deeds in the eternal hellfire of perdition, and fate has chosen me to deliver judgment upon you! I must warn you though, my mettle in combat is the stuff of legend! Bards sing tales of my—"

"Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP!" Gecko was fed up with this boy, and wanted to do nothing more than to cut his losses and cut this freak up. He rushed at Owain and constantly hacked and slashed at the young man, who did nothing but parry every attack. It was Owain's plan to get the opponent to keep attacking until he tired himself out, and then that will be the opportune moment to strike. But he didn't count on one thing.

The very last hit Owain blocked, his sword broke, with the majority of the blade flying off in some random direction. Now he has lost his only means of fighting, and judging by the smirk on Gecko's face, he knew it as well. The "insurance salesman" continued his onslaught, and all Owain could do was dodge. For the most part, he was doing well, but he couldn't keep this up forever, and it was beginning to show as the last attack managed to tear off his sleeve. He needed to be on the offense.

Suddenly, the father Gaius saved earlier came out of his home clutching a sword. "Traveler!"

Owain looked to the villager and his eyes bulged when saw what was in his hands. Right there was the reason he came to this village in the first place. The legendary blade "Mystletainn". He had heard rumors that the blade lied here so he came to check it out for himself. It appears they were true after all. Not only that, but it looks like it's his only chance for survival.

"You there!" Owain shouted to the man. "Toss me that sword."

He did so without hesitation, and from the moment it entered the air and reached the defenseless hero, time just seemed to slow down. As soon as Owain's hand grabbed hold of it, his "sword hand" pulled the blade out of its sheath and knocked Gecko's weapon out of his hand. Now it was the time to finish it.

"**DIE DIE MYSTLETAINN BARRAGE!**"

Owain proceeded to land a bunch of lightning fast strikes on his opponent. They were so fast and so many, it was impossible to tell how many hits were made. Twenty? Fifty? A hundred? It didn't mattered because it was clear who the victor would be. Once Owain deemed it necessary to stop, he held his new sword downward and inserted most of it back into its sheath, leaving a little bit of the blade out. He then put the rest back in, and stayed put as if that last action would trigger an event.

But nothing happened. Gecko just stood there.

"Uh, Owain…" Lucina spoke up. She and the rest of the Shepherds had finally taken care of the rest of the "insurance salesmen", and headed towards the other future child.

"Wait for it." Owain stated. But still nothing happened.

"Uh…what is he doing?" Robin asked Lucina.

"Wait for it." Owain repeated, only louder this time.

"Owain…" Lucina tried to get through to her cousin again.

"WAIT FOR IT!" Three more seconds passed, and even Owain realized this wasn't going anywhere.

"Ah screw it." The swordsman hit Gecko's body with the butt of the hilt of his sword, and down the lanky man went, with blood finally starting to seep from his wounds.

*_End battle music_*

That sure wasn't what Owain was expecting. He was certain that Gecko should've at least fallen into many pieces after all the damage he did. Regardless, Owain was satisfied, as everyone managed to save the village.

Speaking of which, he turned to said village to let the people know of their victory. "You are all free now!" he declared with triumph in his voice.

The villagers exited the safeties of their homes, and despite all the blood and gore scattered upon the grounds, they couldn't help but cheer. The Shepherds protected them from the awful men who tried to force an insurance plan on them (oh and saved their lives too, that's also important).

Alvin and Brett pushed through the crowd to see their buddy. "Yo, Owain!"

"Sir Alvin. Sir Brett." Owain happily acknowledged their presence.

"Owain, dude, you kicked ass!" Alvin stated.

"Dudes, you all kicked ass!" Brett told the rest of the Shepherds.

"But of course! After all, the heroes always win." the myrmidon bragged. "But I must ask, why are the villagers still here? We knew of these evildoers' future arrival ahead of time, and you should've warned the village of this so they could evacuate."

This caught the Shepherds' interest. If their plan was to alert the villagers, why would they remain when they knew a hostile situation was approaching?

"We were supposed to warn the village?" questioned Alvin.

"Whoa, our b." Brett apologized in their own weird way.

Everyone, Shepherds and villagers alike, stared blankly at the two "dudes", not believing that so many lives were needlessly at risk because of their incompetency.

"…huh." Owain simply said. "Well it matters not. For in the end, we have emerged triumphant! And no harm was laid on a single hair on these innocent villagers! Today, the Scion of Legend, as well as his newfound allies, the Shepherds, are victorious once more!"

The villagers cheered once more and the man who originally owned the sword Owain was holding stepped forward. "Indeed. Thank you ever so much for saving us. We don't know how to ever thank you properly."

"No thanks are necessary. Like my humble uncle has said, our business is wherever there's trouble. We'll always be there to set things right."

"Err…right." affirmed Chrom. He meant what he said earlier and was proud that his nephew believed in their cause, but he had a feeling things were about to get weird.

"There is however one request I ask of you." Owain mentioned. He got on one knee and held out the sword to its owner. "This weapon…it is the blade of legend and song, Mystletainn, is it not?"

The man gave him a puzzled look. In truth, it was just an ordinary sword and he was about to correct him. "Actually—"

"I have searched high and low for this sacred sword." Owain interrupted. "The truth is, I've been wrestling with an inner evil day and night, and it has taken the form of my sword hand." He raised his "sword hand" for all to see and even received "ooohs" from the children and Alvin and Brett. Everybody else just continued to give him a quizzical expression. "It yearns for death wherever I may go, seeking for battle where there's an opportune moment. My tenacity has prevented it from spilling any innocent blood, but I fear for the day it may take over. Only the mythical Mystletainn can abate my sword hand's hunger for violence. So I beg of you, please let me wield Mystletainn as my own!"

The villager blinked once after everything he just heard. Then he blinked again, wondering if the person kneeling before him had serious mental issues. In the end, he decided it was for the best to not only let him keep the sword, but also not tell him the truth about it. Besides, he could still make more use out of it than he ever could. "Okay, sure."

Owain looked up to the man, appearing speechless for a split second before donning a big grin and jumping up and holding his new weapon up high. "Huzzah!" he cheered. "At long last, my sword hand lays calm." Owain looked to villagers, about to give another spiel. "And do not fret, for I intend to make noble use of your sacred treasure. The threat of the Conqueror still looms over us, but fear not, for destiny beckons me to end his madness. With Mystletainn's power coursing through me, I vow to fell Walhart myself and free every sovereign nation from his tyranny. And maybe then…I'll once again be able to walk down the path of radiance."

The children and Alvin and Brett hollered once again for the "Scion of Legend". "We didn't even need to chant 'speech' for him to make one!" Alvin noted aloud.

"Yo that's how you know this dude's a legit hero!" proclaimed Brett.

The other villagers and Shepherds still thought the young man was a weirdo, but at least they knew that he truly meant well.

"Well at least he's good with kids." Lissa stated. She then looked at Alvin and Brett trying to hype up their friend for the crowd. "Big kids too apparently." She then wore a little smile and walked up to her son. "Alright you had your fun, now let your mother heal you up."

Owain practically gave her a glare. "Heroes do not have their mothers tend to their injuries." He then muttered under his breath "In public anyways." before speaking at normal volume again. "Besides, I'm not even wounded."

"It doesn't hurt to get a checkup after every battle." the cleric affirmed. "And if you're not wounded, then what about your arm?"

"My sleeve just got torn. There's not a single bruise upon it. Here, look." He bared his arm for her to see.

What Lissa saw made her gasp. "Holy crow! I-…is that…?"

"Huh?" Owain looked at his arm and realized what was happening. There on his arm was the exalted brand, just like the one on Chrom's shoulder, Lucina's eye, and Emmeryn's forehead. However, for whatever reason, Lissa never got one, and it always made her worried that she wasn't really part of the royal family.

"Yes it is." the son confirmed in a surprisingly soft-spoken tone. "My arm bares the brand of the Exalt. I forgot that you didn't know it by now."

"So does that mean…?"

"Indeed. You are truly Chrom's sister. So there's no need to worry. We're all family, linked by blood. You are not a bastard."

Lissa couldn't help herself and hugged her son while sobbing into his chest. She didn't care who was watching, she finally had closure to her deep-seated issue.

Owain rubbed his mother's back gently. "There there, let it all out." he spoke soothingly. "But just know this, even if you were illegitimate, we would still consider you family, and I would still be proud to call you my mother."

"I know, I know." Lissa confessed. "It's just finally good to know." She finally calmed down and let go of her child, wiping away any stray tears from her eyes. "Thank you."

"It's just what a good son would do." Owain tried to pass the whole touching reveal off as no big deal. "Is there anything else you wish to know?"

"Well yeah, there's the obvious question of course." Lissa sounded like she was back to her perky self. "Who exactly is the father?"

A sudden realization struck all the Shepherds with the exception of Lucina. How could they have forgotten that Owain has to have a father to exist and that Lissa wasn't even married yet?

Even the son himself seemed to be taken aback by what he just heard. "Mother, are you to tell me that you are not yet wed!?"

"Nope." she replied as if it didn't matter. "So c'mon, tell me. Who's the lucky guy that gets to be with this cutie?"

Owain looked hesitant to answer. "I cannot say. For if I were to tell you, I fear you will only court him out of obligation and not out of true love. Therefore, I will hold my tongue and simply let the relationship to occur naturally. The very way history has intended."

Lissa was not happy with that answer. "Yeah screw that, tell me who it is." she demanded.

"I cannot. I will not."

The blonde glowered at her son, and out of some strange instinct, suddenly reached out and tugged his right ear.

Even stranger, Owain started to act out of some unusual instinct as well. "OW! OW! That hurts mummy! I'm really sensitive there! Please sto-o-op! I'll be good mummy! I promise!"

Well this was certainly an interesting development. Some people quirked an eyebrow at the "Scion of Legend's" sudden shift in behavior, while others couldn't help but snicker.

"Tell me who my hubby is, or else!" Lissa threatened.

"Alright, alright! Just let me go! PLEEE-EEE-EEASE!" Owain begged.

"That's better." Lissa let go of the ear, which her son immediately rubbed to make it feel better, and adopted a look that made her seem completely innocent.

Owain cleared his throat before making the big reveal. "My father, your other half, happens to be the noblest of heroes. He has served not only the Shepherds, but the royal house of Ylisse as well for his whole life. Nowhere else will you find a more loyal man who will put the needs of his family and allies before his own. Even…if it costs him his life." He said that last line with melancholy in his voice, but quickly readopted his normal personality. "By now I'm sure you've figured out there is only one man who fits such a description. My father is none other than…" He gestured his arm to a certain stalwart knight. "Sir Frederick!"

All eyes were now on Chrom's left-hand man. When Frederick heard all of this, he began to sweat and blush heavily and tried his hardest to not look at Lissa, all of which were _very_ uncharacteristic of him.

"Frederick?" Lissa squeaked out and walked over to him.

"M-milady…I…" For some strange reason, Frederick just couldn't form words, and soon an awkward silence lingered.

Lissa began to nervously twirl one of the curls in her pigtail. "Sooo…do you like me?" she flat-out asked.

Frederick once again tried to form a proper sentence. "I…I…" He quickly gave up and let out a sigh. "I suppose there's no point in hiding it anymore, is there?"

"Nope." confirmed Lissa who seemed to be growing more confident.

"Very well." It looked like Frederick was finally ready to tell her everything. "The truth is, I've been infatuated with you for quite some time. Your beauty, your smile, your carefree nature. Honestly, I don't know how anyone couldn't fall in love with you."

"Oh Frederick." the cleric blushed. The audience around them were definitely getting interested now. "But wait, why didn't you say any of this to me before?"

"My family was born into the service of yours for generations." Frederick began his explanation. "Why would someone of the exalted bloodline want to marry their lowly butler?"

"For Naga's sake Frederick! You of all people should know that I don't care about any of that stuff! Besides, we just established that this whole time I could've been a bastard child for all we knew."

"You would have still been royalty in my eyes." That got Lissa's face to turn even redder. "But after these last few weeks of spending time with you to *ahem* 'hang out', I figured I maybe could have a chance after all."

Lissa gave the man a comforting smile. "You _always_ had a chance."

Frederick rose both of his eyebrows in surprise. "Milady…do you mean—"

"Duh! I've felt the same probably longer than you have. You were always my first crush."

"I...I did not know."

"I know you didn't, even though I made it SO obvious, SO many times! Honestly, you can be hopelessly dense sometimes. You must've gotten it from being around Chrom so much."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Chrom asked in retaliation, causing some of the Shepherds to giggle.

"Well then I would like to apologize and make it up to you." the great knight proclaimed. He then just remembered something and turned his head towards Chrom. "That is with milord's permission of course."

Chrom understood what he was asking and gave a reassuring smile. "I've always considered you family. Might as well make it official."

Frederick responded with a happy nod and faced Lissa again. "Milady, do you have a dream?"

"To marry my first love, obviously!" she stated. "It's kinda every girl's dream. Why, what's yours?"

Frederick took her by surprise by pulling out a small black box. "To serve you, to protect you, and to make you happy, for as long as we both shall live. So will you do me the honors of helping me achieve that dream?" He flipped open the box, revealing the engagement ring inside.

Lissa was breathing so heavily, one could mistake her for having a panic attack. "Of course I will!" She jumped into his arms, giving him a huge hug. "There's nothing more I want to be than Mrs. Frederick Okayguy!"

All the villagers and a good number of the female Shepherds let out a big "aww" at the sight, but Robin on the other hand was more focused on a certain detail.

"Wait, your last name is 'Okayguy'? Seriously?"

"He may be an 'Okayguy', but he's a perfect guy to me." Lissa cooed, and those same people from before "awwed" even louder.

Robin leaned his head towards Chrom and began whispering to him. "Isn't that like super cheesy?" He was obviously commenting on Lissa's last line.

"Just don't let them hear you say that." Chrom whispered back.

"Oh such happy times these are!" Owain cried out. "It seems I have indeed made the right decision to reveal the identity of my father! Let it be known that on this day—"

"Oh shut up Owain and come here and join your family!" Lissa joyfully ordered her son.

Owain dropped character when he heard this and looked to his parents with a hopeful look in his eyes. "Really? Are you sure?"

"Get over here!" his mother gestured him over to them.

Owain was all too happy to oblige and joined in the family hug. The whole touching scene moved a lot of the spectators, and the majority of them clapped for the reunited family. Even Alvin and Brett looked like they were trying not to sob.

"Action scenes will always be the best." Alvin started.

"But it's totally cool to like this kind of stuff." finished Brett.

Lucina couldn't help but smile at the display, happy that her cousin got to share the same experience that she did with her own parents. Hopefully when they find the rest of her friends, they may all be treated to moments such as this.

"Looks awfully familiar doesn't it?" Robin commented next to her. She didn't even look at him, for she didn't want to take her eyes off what she was witnessing. Plus she knew he was talking to him. "I have a feeling we'll be seeing stuff like this a lot more in the future."

"I concur." Lucina gladly admitted. "And I will never tire of it."

* * *

The Shepherds were now at the other end of the village, healed and raring to go. But first, they wanted to say their goodbyes to the three allies that brought them here.

"Well, this has certainly been eventful." Chrom stated.

"Really Chrom? That's all you have to say?" Anna's sister teased.

"Honestly, with what's been going on with our campaign so far, it's amazing I still bat an eye to any of this. What with all the Risen and time travelling children. Although now that I mention it, we probably shouldn't be revealing that last part constantly, since everyone in the village knows now."

The redhead simply shrugged. "Meh, with the way your nephew was acting, who's really going to believe him?"

"Fair point, but how much is it going to cost us for you to keep quiet about it?" the Shepherds' leader questioned, thinking he had to buy this Anna's silence.

Said Anna put a hand to her chest in mock offense. "Dear Exalt, I am wounded that you would even think a sweet young maiden such as myself would blackmail the liberators of this country, one of whom happens to be my sister."

"Alright." Chrom eased up. "That's good to hear."

"But if you really want to thank me…" Everyone tensed up upon hearing that. "Relax. I was just curious, what exactly is that thing that keeps swearing all the time? And does it come with a family-friendly version?"

Amidst the groans, Henry beamed at what was just asked. "Nyahaha! I see you have an eye for quality." He lifted up the Translatorb for the merchant to see. "This is the Translatorb! It's a Shepherds' exclusive and it's not for sale!"

Anna's sister frowned cutely at that. "Aww, you can't spare one sample product?"

"I'm afraid Henry's right." said Chrom. "Instead, we'll pay you to take it off of our hands."

The sister's expression brightened. "Ooh, is it my birthday?"

"Aw c'mon Chrom, don't be like that. It's practically one of us by now." Henry argued, though he still had on his ever-present smile. "How would you like it if we decided to give away Robin?"

"Well he has been a bit of a smartass lately." Chrom joked, pretending as if he was actually considering the possibility of giving away Robin.

The whitehead smirked at this until he felt someone wrapping their arms around his left one. "Father no!" Lucina screamed. "You can't give away Robin! We need him! He's our tactician and your best friend! How can you so callously get rid of him like that!?"

"Calm down Lucina. I was only kidding." Chrom quickly clarified, afraid that if he didn't, his daughter would probably end up reciting a forty page essay on why they should keep Robin.

Lucina blinked at the revelation. "…Oh." The accursed "jokes" have struck once again, making her look like a fool. And the worst part? She did so all in front of the man who holds her heart— oh Naga, she's still holding his arm!

"S-sorry Robin." She let go of his arm and turned away from him, face fully flushed.

"…It's fine Lucina." Robin reassured. "I know you're just looking out for me." He touched the spot where she just held him and looked away from her as well, trying to force down a blush. The whole incident put big grins on Lissa and Sumia's faces, while Tharja's wore a scowl.

"So he's not up for grabs then." Anna's sister noted. "That's a shame. I could've used someone as smart as him for a business partner. Or a sex slave, whichever suits my needs more."

"Wait, what?" Robin and Lucina asked simultaneously?

"Hmm?" Anna's sister hummed, acting as if she didn't say anything. Fortunately, the "bros" finally spoke up, distracting everyone from an awkward conversation.

"So this means you're gonna like save the world, right Owain?" asked Alvin.

"Do you expect any less of me?" Owain bragged.

"Not at all, yo." Brett admitted. "Hell, we should expect more."

"Yeah go save the universe!" Alvin exclaimed.

"No, go save the multiverse! Only the Scion of Legend can do that!" Brett chipped in.

Owain let out a hearty chuckle. "I can assure you, no task is too much for me to carry out. But right now, my sword hand twitches for Walhart's demise. So with that, I say to you farewell my faithful companions."

The Shepherds left after that to continue their campaign, while the three allies waved goodbye until they could no longer see the merry band of heroes.

"So whaddya wanna do now?" Alvin asked Brett.

"I dunno, whaddya wanna do?" Brett asked in return.

"I dunno, whaddya wanna do?"

"I dunno, whaddya wanna do?"

"I'll tell you what you boys can do." Anna's sister spoke up. "I could always use some assistance back at my shop, and you two happen to have the kind of big strong hands I need to move my wares."

"Yo, we get paid?" inquired Brett.

"Hold on, I could pay you." Anna's sister began to make her proposal. "But isn't getting to handle cool weapons payment enough?"

The two guys looked to each other and appeared to have come to the same conclusion.

"She's got a point." Alvin said their thoughts out loud.

'Perfect! Free labor!' the redhead squealed in her mind. "Alrighty! You're hired!"

"YEAH!" Alvin and Brett howled and high-fived in satisfaction.

* * *

_Later…_

Lucina walked around camp searching for a specific tent where she was informed she could find her cousin. The Shepherds have covered plenty of ground marching after that last battle, and once the sun started setting for a while, Robin decided now would be a good time to rest. Now that they had this opportunity, the future princess wanted to try to catch up with Owain.

It didn't take long to find the correct tent, as from within it she could hear Owain's voice spouting off about something.

"And so I gave him quite a pounding, and proceeded to rub it in his face!"

At this point Lucina could tell he was simply telling another tale about his adventures, which made her smile, as it meant that he was still the same person from two years ago. She entered inside, where she not only saw Owain, but also her Aunt Lissa and mother as well. However, the latter two looked rather uncomfortable while listening to the brunette's stories.

Owain took notice of Lucina's arrival. "What ho, fair cousin! How are you on this fine evening?" he greeted.

"I'm doing well Owain, thank you." Lucina responded. "And I take it you are settling in just fine?"

"Indeed I am." Owain confirmed. "I was just telling mother and Aunt Sumia about the time we faced off against the risen horde that tried to ambush this one village in the future."

"Yeeeaaah…" Lissa murmured. "And while it has been enjoyable and all, there are some parts you _might_ want to reword."

"How so?" her son asked.

"Well for starters, that last part might sound inappropriate out of context." Sumia pointed out.

"And on that note, you might want to leave out that 'clever line' of yours about making the Risen 'ride your sword'." Lissa added.

"Oh now I know which ambush you're talking about." Lucina announced, remembering the incident. "I thought that was quite the clever line."

"I know, right?" grinned Owain.

The two parents just stared awkwardly at their children. "You…really don't think there's something wrong with it?" Lissa asked, hoping this was all a joke. She apparently forgot she was talking to Lucina.

"Oh maybe you don't get it Aunt Lissa. You see at the time, the Risen were on mounts, and one of our friends warned us that they were 'riding' towards us."

"Yeah, I get it. Owain told us all about it." informed Lissa. "It's just that…people might think of something else when you say it like that."

"I'm pretty sure it's specific enough that people will know what I mean Mother." Owain chuckled. "The same goes for when I pounded that Risen."

"Oh yes, I remember that vividly as well." stated the swordswoman. "There was so much goo sprayed over that Risen's face."

Sumia couldn't help but cringe upon hearing that. "Now when you say goo—"

"From the Revenant that I beat down." Owain explained. "How can that possibly be misconstrued?"

"And you two see no problem with how you're saying all of this?" Lissa questioned.

"I do not." Lucina admitted.

"Nor do I." confessed Owain. "Care to elaborate?"

"Nevermind." Lissa sighed. At this point, she and Sumia could only hope that the other future children at least understood euphemisms.

At that moment, the tent received a fifth visitor in the form of Robin. "Hey, I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"Ah, the master tactician!" Owain addressed. "To what do we owe this great pleasure?"

"Master tactician, huh?" Robin repeated those words, testing out the label himself. "As much as I like the sound of that, I don't think I'm worthy of the title just yet."

"Humble as ever I see. Spoken like a true hero." the myrmidon complimented. "Back in our time, you were responsible for countless victories among the Shepherds thanks to your impeccable strategies. I have no doubt that you will repeat those very same feats now and lead us to glory!"

"Wow, no pressure or anything." Robin jested.

"Is there anything we can do to help you Robin?" Lucina asked, always eager to help the white-haired man in any way, shape, or form.

"I was just hoping I could borrow your cousin for a bit. Don't worry, I'll bring him back soon so you can continue catching up with each other."

"Oh ho. Need my expertise for an upcoming battle strategy?" Owain predicted.

"Actually, I wanted to do a small interview with you." clarified Robin. "It's just a formality I like to do with all the new recruits so I get to know them better and learn what their strengths and weaknesses are so I can plan accordingly. Is that alright with you?"

"Is that alright? I'm honored that the revered strategist wishes to know more of my prowess!" Owain proclaimed. "Though I must inform you that I have no weaknesses. However that doesn't mean we have to cut our meeting short, for I have many strengths to capitalize on. And afterwards, we can share tales of how we became the mighty heroes we are today. Legend to legend."

"Um, I don't think I have that much time to—"

"Heroes make time! Now let us be off! There is no time to waste!" Owain hurried on out of the tent, his enthusiasm showing no bounds.

It seems that staring awkwardly at the "Scion of Legend" was a common occurrence, for everyone still inside was doing so again.

"And here I thought the Shepherds couldn't get any livelier." Robin chuckled.

"He may talk a lot, but he sure is a lot of fun. And he's the sweetest son a mother could ask for." Lissa stated. "I wish we would've found him sooner."

"You might have to have a talk with him about how he phrases his words though." Sumia mentioned, causing her sister-in-law to sigh.

"Yeah, I know."

"What are you talking about?" Robin asked.

"Just a heads up, you might never think about his 'sword hand' the same way after you've talked to him." the blonde warned.

"Oooookay…?" Robin wasn't sure what she meant by that, and frankly, wasn't in any hurry to find out. A thought suddenly occurred to him and he turned to Lucina with an eager smile. "Though I have to ask Lucina, considering how energetic Owain is, is my child this eccentric?"

Unfortunately, Lucina couldn't return that smile, and instead just gulped nervously. She knew he was asking for a detail she just couldn't provide on account of one fact.

"Your child?" Lissa questioned. "Wait Lucina, didn't you tell us that in the future, Robin was—" She paused in midsentence, realizing the mistake she was making. "Un-…married."

Everyone slowly turned their heads to face Robin, and witnessed the most absolute dejected expression on him.

"I'm…not married?" He asked softly, the look in his eyes pleading for the answer to be false.

Lucina held her tongue. She knew of Robin's desire to have his own family ever since their forest walk yesterday. But the truth of the matter is, the tactician never settled down. No spouse, no offspring. He was always alone. How was the bluenette supposed to tell him that his dream never came to fruition?

"I don't ever find someone who loves me? Or even have a child of my own?" Robin was looking to Lucina hoping for any form of good news. Any form of consolation.

Lucina just couldn't bear to lead him on with false hope, and revealed the truth in a few simple words. "I'm so sorry Robin."

And there it was, the final nail in the coffin. "…Oh…" Robin breathed out. He lowered his head out of sadness. Misery written all over his face.

"Robin?" Lucina uttered, trying to get through to him.

"I'm fine." He lied. Robin then lifted his head back up and flashed a huge smile, but everyone could tell it was forced. "After all, we can't always get what we want." He turned away from the woman and pushed open the tent flap. "Well…I'd better go find Owain before he talks the whole camp's ear off." And with that, he quickly left before anyone could get another word in edgewise.

The girls just stood there wondering what just happened. Not even five minutes ago, the atmosphere was completely jovial, despite the hiccup or two in awkwardness here and there. But in the end just now, Robin left with his spirits crushed.

"Robin…" Lucina repeated his name.

"That might've been the saddest thing I've ever seen." Lissa commented. She was clearly affected, as she hadn't tried to make a joke to create some levity in the situation.

"I wish there was some way to cheer him up." said Sumia.

Lucina wanted the same thing as her mother more than anyone else. Robin has done so much for the Shepherds, both in this time and the future. He of all people at least deserves some happiness.

She then remembered what Sumia talked to her about before they began their voyage and faced her. "Mother, if there was any doubt that Robin shouldn't be married for the sake of preserving the timeline, those are gone now."

This surprised Sumia, but she beamed nonetheless. "Oh, so does this mean you're finally going to court Robin?"

"N-no." Lucina shook her head. As nice as that sounded, she had a duty to uphold, and unfortunately it didn't involve being with the delightful tactician. "I mean we find someone else who would truly love Robin and have her marry him." That hurt more to say than she thought it would, but knew she had no real choice. "My only concern is that this may be a very difficult task."

Lissa looked like she had trouble believing that last part. "How so?"

"When we were collecting firewood yesterday, he told me how no woman ever seemed to take an interest in him. If that's the case, who knows how long it may take for us to find a companion for him." Lucina lowered her head downward, worried that Robin might never be happy again because of this.

Lissa and Sumia however, silently blinked once before they entered a laughing uproar. Their guffawing causing them to double over, apparently not being able to handle what they just heard.

Lucina was shocked and even a bit appalled at the display. Their friend was hurting and she just revealed to them his insecurities, and they had the gall to laugh at him? What was the meaning of this? "What's so funny?"

Lissa struggled to get her words out because she was laughing so much. "HE *laughs* IS THE DENSEST IDIOT!"

Lucina quirked an eyebrow at what she meant by that before her mother managed to calm herself down enough and explain for her daughter. "Lucina, _every_ girl has a thing for Robin."

Lucina felt her heart stop once she heard this information. "WHAT!? _Every_ girl!?"

Lissa somehow got herself to stop cackling and confirmed this knowledge to her niece. "Yep. Tharja may be the only one that goes after him, but we other women just can't help but check him out every now and again." she winked.

This can't be happening. Could all these ladies really have feelings for the one man she most certainly didn't hold them for? "H-how!? When!?"

"Oh all the time." Lissa grinned cheekily. She was telling the truth, but she couldn't help but a kick out of Lucina's priceless reaction. "Like there was the time when Robin first met Olivia."

* * *

_Flashback…_

Robin groggily opened his eyes, feeling all the life drained out of him. He was too out of it to exactly tell where he was or what was going on. All he remembered was that he and the Shepherds were marching back to Ylisse after failing to save Emmeryn, only to be stopped by a reluctant faction of the Plegian army. He definitely fought well, but one of his adversaries must've gotten in a good hit and knocked him out cold.

"Oh Robin, you're finally awake!" cried out the telltale voice of Lissa. He tried to move his head around so he could see her. "Don't struggle so much, I still need to treat you. Olivia, keep applying that wet cloth."

At the mention of "wet cloth", Robin noticed how moist his forehead was. He turned his head to the side and came face-to-face with a gorgeous pink-haired women, who seemed to be wearing very thin clothing, gently pressing a damp rag on his head.

"Uh…hi." the pinkette nervously greeted.

Robin blinked once before painfully sitting up and got out of the bed he was apparently laying in.

"Hey, don't you dare get out of bed!" Lissa scolded.

Robin ignored her, and instead took notice of the fact that he wasn't wearing his trademark coat. He saw it hanging on the back of a nearby chair and walked towards it.

"Don't you dare put your coat back on!"

He grabbed his coat, but didn't wear it. Instead, he walked back towards the girls while holding it.

"Don't you dare— oh, I didn't expect you'd actually listen to me." Lissa watched as he came over and stood in front of the pink-haired woman. "Um, what are you doing?"

The pinkette was shaking nervously. She wasn't usually comfortable with other people, and now this man was gazing blankly at her. But what really caught her off-guard was when he carefully wrapped his coat around her shoulders. She looked at him wondering why he would do such a thing, and it seemed he got the message.

"You looked cold." Robin explained. "Thought you could use it more than me."

The girl blushed at that. This man was the one who was unconscious and in pain, and yet he tries to take care of some stranger before himself? Who is he?

"W-why did you think I was cold?" she asked.

"Well it is a little chilly in here. And you are wearing very little clothing."

Now the woman's whole face turned red. "P-PLEASE DON'T STARE!" she screamed, moving back a bit.

That outburst jostled Robin fully awake. His eyes were now wide and he was waving his hands in front of him. "I-I wasn't doing that, I swear!" he clarified.

"I-I'm a dancer! This is what I always wear for my performances!"

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to— wait, you're a dancer?"

"Yes." the maiden answered, finally calming down. Only for her to start blushing again when she thought of a possibility. "Not the kind you're thinking of though!"

"I wasn't thinking that, honest." Robin admitted, his face turning crimson as well. He could hear Lissa behind him trying to not let her laughs escape through her hands. "Look, maybe we should start over. I'm Robin. And you are…?"

"Olivia." she answered. At least there was now a name to this face. "Khan Basillio stationed me in Plegia so I could escort you all back to the palace in case the rescue was a failure." She realized how bad that sounded and looked ashamed. "I'm sorry."

Robin felt the guilt pile up inside him, but he didn't want to make Olivia feel bad because of that. "It's not your fault." he stated before trying to switch topics. "So will you be joining us to help end Gangrel's madness?"

Olivia sighed sadly. "I'd like to, but I'm not sure how much use I could be. All I can do is dance, and I'm not very good at it."

The tactician gave her a comforting smile. "I'm not sure about that. I have a feeling that you're a great dancer who just needs some confidence."

The dancer blushed once again. "You're just saying that to make me feel better."

"No really. I'm the tactician, so it's kind of a requirement for me to be able to read others and look into their skills. But if that's not enough to convince you, you could always perform a dance for me and I'll give you an honest opinion."

Olivia looked to the whitehead with her hopes raised. "You'd really want that?"

Robin gave her the most sincere look he could muster. "I'd be delighted to."

For the nth time, Olivia's face reddened, but this time she was also smiling and twiddling her fingers. "Th-thank you Robin. I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

Lissa smirked at the scene before her, but was glad that Olivia was now given a warm welcome to their band of misfits. Plus, she could use this moment to tease the pinkette later.

"Alright you sly dog, get back in bed." she ordered playfully to Robin. "You're still not fully healed and I need to take care of you."

Robin wasn't sure what she meant by "sly dog", but was too tired to care and laid back down anyways.

* * *

_End Flashback…_

Lucina could feel the jealousy rise inside her, but could easily push it back down. It was clear that Robin's motives at the time were completely platonic. Not to mention, envy is probably an unhealthy trait, and she should probably start controlling it sooner rather than later.

"And there was the one time with Cordelia at your father's and my wedding." Sumia added.

Lucina didn't really want to hear another story, but braced herself for it anyways.

* * *

_Flashback…_

"And that's all the _**thanks**_ I get for it!" snapped an intoxicated Cordelia.

"Cordelia dear, we don't know what you're talking about." stated Maribelle.

"You just sat here with us drunker than Vaike at a party and said 'And that's all the _**thanks**_ I get for it!'." Lissa imitated.

The three women were sitting at a table in the ballroom of the royal palace. The wedding between Chrom and Sumia had just taken place, and now the new married couple were dancing together on the main dance floor.

Now what the two blonde girls said about Cordelia being really drunk was correct, they were lying about not knowing what she was talking about. It was obvious that she was speaking about Chrom and how upset she was that he married her best friend instead of her. It was no secret that she has loved the former prince/now Exalt for the longest time, the only one not seeing her obvious affections was Chrom himself. Even Sumia knew of her friend's love, but she couldn't help herself in the end. She and Chrom connected with each other so perfectly, it was obvious they were meant for each other. Cordelia, being the woman that she is, accepted this fact and even agreed to be the maid of honor. Doesn't mean it didn't hurt though.

"Oh, did I?" the redhead questioned. "Well it's…_true_! Why doesn't Chrom love me!? Why Naga Why!?" She began to make sobbing sounds.

Just then, the groom's best friend and best man for the wedding, Robin himself, came over to the table. "Hey girls, how are you ladies enjoying the wedding?"

"AAAAAAAAH!" Cordelia slammed her head and started weeping hysterically, scaring her three friends around her.

"Is this a bad time?" Robin asked cautiously.

"I don't think it'll get any better than this." Lissa predicted.

Robin sighed. Like nearly everyone else, he knew about Cordelia's feelings for Chrom, but he knew that Sumia was the one for him. Still, he didn't like seeing any of his friends upset. "Come on Cordelia, you're better than this. I know it must hurt to see the one you love marry someone else, but you got to learn to let go."

"Easy for yoooouuuu to say." Cordelia pointed an unsteady finger at him. "You try being in love for…" She started counting with her fingers before promptly giving up. "Whatever long, only for your gal pal to go BINGO GAZINGO and she wins him over with _pies_ and _rhubarb_. See how you do." She snatched a glass of wine on the table and downed it in one shot.

Robin knew he had to calm her down quick, or else she might do some serious damage to her brain cells with all the alcohol she's consuming. "You're right, I've never had to suffer through any of that, but at least you got to know what it feels like to be in love. That's more than I can say for myself."

"Well guess what? It's overrated and does nothing but hurt you." She grabbed a whole bottle and would've chugged all of its contents if Robin hadn't grabbed her wrist.

"Look, I'm going to let you in on a secret." the best man began. "The truth is, I actually envy Chrom right now."

That caught Cordelia's attention. "You mean…you like Sumia, and Chrom took her away from…" She never finished that sentence and just started rolling her wrist.

"I think it's the other way around." Lissa joked.

"Lissa darling, that is quite inappropriate, and now is not the time." Maribelle reprimanded, but she was failing to hold back a smirk.

"No Cordelia." Robin continued. "I envy him because he found someone that loves him and gets to start his own family while I'm still a dateless loser. But I don't resent him for it. And you know why that is?" Cordelia just looked at him, expecting that he was going to tell her the reason either way (or she was just so drunk, she wasn't even focusing at this point).

"It's because he's my best friend and I'm happy for him. Sumia too. I'm not going to resent them over petty jealousy. And I know you feel the same. Besides, we'll probably find that special someone someday. There are plenty of fish in the sea after all."

The maid of honor looked like she was now feeling better, but there was still one problem lingering in her mind. "But when and how am I gonna reel in a fish as handsome and magnificent as Chrom?" she slurred.

"Well, you never know. You just have to keep trying. Though if it makes you feel better, I could help you look for your other half with you." Robin offered. "And if we come up short, well…at least we can be lonely together."

She may be on the verge of wasted, but Cordelia looked truly touched that Robin would do all that just for her happiness. Maybe, just maybe, she could get over Chrom after all. "Thank you Robin." She smiled in gratification, which the white-haired man returned in full.

Since she was still drunk, Cordelia also tried something that her sober self would consider "too bold". "Say Robin, would you like to go out to dinner with me tomorrow?" She was already red-faced from all the wine, but Lissa and Maribelle could've sworn she was blushing.

Although confused by the sudden change in topic, Robin couldn't help but smile at the proposal. "Sure, if it'll make you happy."

"Oooooooooh." cooed Lissa, earning a confused look from Robin and a chuckle from Maribelle and Cordelia.

Still dancing with her new husband, Sumia looked over Chrom's shoulder and saw her best friend laughing with others, comforted to know that everything will be alright.

* * *

_End Flashback..._

"I bet he didn't even know he was on a date during that dinner." Sumia giggled.

Lucina was starting to look more worried. That seemed like more of a connection than the one Robin had with Olivia. And the swordswoman remembered that Robin offered her to take her out to eat yesterday. Does that man just eat out with any woman like some kind of "dinner whore"!?

She pushed that thought to the side. Robin isn't like that. Besides, he offered Lucina the proposal, instead of the other way around like with Cordelia, so that means the bluenette means more to him, right?

"Even I tried to get with him at one time." Lissa suddenly mentioned, distracting Lucina from her thoughts.

"**WAIT WHAT!?**" How could Lissa do this!? How could her aunt betray her like so!?

"Oh don't get so worked up. I was really just trying to get Frederick jealous." the cleric waved off. "But if that didn't work, and I ended up getting a dreamy tactician to fall for me, well then…"

"What did you do!?" Lucina demanded.

"Well…"

* * *

_Flashback…_

Robin was out in the training area where he was sharpening his Levin sword with a whetstone. The only others out here were Frederick and Vaike, who were having a nice friendly spar.

Suddenly, Lissa appeared, skipping towards the right-hand man of her brother with a big grin on her face.

"Heeeeey Robin~" she greeted loudly, making sure a certain great knight could hear.

"Oh, hey Lissa." Robin returned the acknowledgment in a friendly manner. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine." Lissa answered before putting on a coy smile. "But not as fine as you. Boy, you are looking so fine!"

"Uh, thanks?" Robin wasn't sure how to take the compliment.

"So, whatcha doin'?" the blonde princess played dumb, twirling one of the curls in her pigtail. "Straightening your sword?"

"It's a Levin sword Lissa, it's supposed to be jagged." Robin pointed out. "Though I suppose if I did straighten it out, maybe it would make straight lightning."

Lissa let out the biggest phony laugh in the history of Ylisse. "AHAHAHAHAHA! Straight lightning, that's hilarious! You're so funny Robin!"

"Uh…thanks again?" He really wondered what was going on with her. And apparently, so were Frederick and Vaike, as they were no longer sparring and instead were watching the scene unfold.

"Hey, you wanna have some tea with me?" Lissa asked out of the blue.

Robin was still puzzled, but figured there was no harm. "Sure. I'm done with this anyways, and I could go for a cup." He tucked away his blade and started walking towards the palace, but as soon as he passed the girl, she raised her palm and smacked him right on his behind.

The tactician yelped and his hands instinctively went to where he was assaulted. "Don't do that!" he ordered while blushing at her.

"Tee hee. No promises." Lissa grinned cheekily.

Robin glared at her, but said nothing else, and the two walked back inside the palace. As for Frederick and Vaike, they just gave each other weird looks over what just happened.

* * *

_End Flashback…_

"YOU SLAPPED HIS BUTT!?" screamed Lucina.

"Yeah, you should've seen the look on his face. It was priceless." Lissa began laughing again.

"You slapped his butt." Lucina repeated.

"Oh don't worry about that. He clearly wasn't interested in me. But I think I did make Frederick jealous. He introduced his 'Frederick's Special Fanatical Fitness Double Hour Extravaganza' the next day. Double the time, quadruple the exercise. Sooo…mission accomplished!"

"You. Slapped. His. Butt."

Lissa was starting to worry that that was all her niece was focusing on. "You want me to tell you how it felt?"

Lucina was not amused as shown by the glare she gave her aunt, but surely Lissa was safe as the future child wouldn't dare harm her family all because they got a little too close to her crush, right?

But just in case, Sumia was there for the rescue. "Listen sweetie, the reason we're telling you all these stories is because Robin won't be able to realize that you have feelings for him unless you outright tell him. He'll never figure it out on his own, no matter how obvious you make them."

"And boy do you make it obvious." Lissa added.

This made Lucina calm down, but it just made her go from mad to sad. "But what about the other women. Surely they deserve a chance to be with him as well."

"Like I said, you make it obvious that you really like him." Lissa reminded. "We all know that you love Robin and all of us want you two to be happy together. So we all agreed, except for you-know-who, to back off until you two are ready to confess."

That should have made Lucina feel better, but instead she just blushed with embarrassment. Everyone knew about her feelings? That certainly can't go well. Especially since she didn't even know if she could act on them, what with her mission and all. Why did life have to be so complicated?

Taking note of Lucina's silence, Lissa suddenly came up with an idea. "You know what you need? Some cheering up! And I know just how to do it!"

"How so?" the bluenette asked.

Lissa couldn't keep the grin off her face. "Well...I did just get engaged. And there's one thing every fiancé needs to do before she gets married."

Sumia smiled cheekily as well. "Oooooh, that's a great idea."

Lucina however remained confused. "What are you talking about?"

Lissa looked to her niece with a devilish smirk that completely unnerved the young woman. "Lucina, have you ever been to a bachelorette party?"

* * *

**Okay is it weird that it's only been four chapters, and already I want to retcon this story and make it about the Translatorb running for president? Fucking weird am I right? Unfortunately, I don't know jack shit about politics whatsoever, so that's clearly never gonna happen. Still I have this strange urge to do a dumb oneshot where it's at a bar and it's drinking with such expressive characters such as the Companion Cube from _Portal_, the cardboard box from the _Metal Gear_ series, and...I want there to be a fourth guy, but all I can think of is Loader bot from _Tales From The Borderlands_, but I feel he doesn't show as much emotion. Maybe he can be the bartender, I dunno.**

**Moral of the story: Never buy insurance kids. When someone offers you insurance, slam the door, hangup the phone, delete the e-mail, etc. Nothing good comes from a policy that covers your tracks when you or someone else fucks up epically.**

**So to put a few possible concerns about what happened to rest, if you fear that every battle depicted will be a curb-stomp battle, don't worry. This is just a classic occurence where in the beginning, the heroes show off their strength to show how capable they are. And then later down the line, the battles will become tougher, and the protagonists will start to suffer a few more...casualties *evil smirk*.**

**And as you just plainly read, I decided to go with FrederickXLissa. Why you ask? Well besides the fact that I like this pairing, it was also the one pairing I wanted to do in my main file, but couldn't do because the game SCREWED ME OVER! How did it screw me over you ask? Because Sumia is Chrom's canon love interest, she also gets a lower support pool, and since I wanted to get all of the units (that meant getting Cynthia as well) I had to make a sacrifice. Since I was more committed to Gaius and Henry's pairings, I decided to make Ol' Freddy take the hit. And guess which of my leftover units I decided to stuck Lissa with? Gregor. Sure he's an awesome dude, but who the fuck does GregorXLissa!? *cricket chirping* Exactly! It's not even an interesting support conversation (She's afraid of everything, he tries to help her out, together they managed to cure ONLY ONE fear, they fall in love. Fucking dumb as hell). I'm sorry if I'm inadvertently insulting any GregorXLissa fans that I don't know about, but curse this amazing game for cockblocking me like so.**

**Oh and by the way, 10 points for anyone who can figure out how I came up with the last name "Okayguy" for Frederick.**

**Well that's it for now. I'll try to get the next chapter out sooner. I promised myself it'll be the very second thing I upload after this, now let's see if I actually keep it. Until then, stay tuned for the next chapter: Big Mamma Anna vs. Commander Shit Slapper!**


	5. Razing The Bar

**Chapter 5 – Razing The Bar**

**Hey you! Yeah you! What the hell do you think you're doing!? I tell you what you're not doing, you're not playing _Splatoon_ right now! What is wrong with you!? Don't you know that _Splatoon_ is the shit!? What do you mean it's not out yet by the time this is posted!? If that's the case, then you should be camping outside your local game store waiting to purchase it! Or better yet, break into the store and steal the copies they're storing in the back! I know you've been waiting for your monthly dose of RobinXLucina fluffiness and my insane brand of humor, but you've gotta get your priorities straight. Don't you argue with me! Okay, how about we compromise? You read this chapter and leave a review, favorite, follow, or whatever, then you start playing _Splatoon_ immediately afterwards. Deal? Deal.**

**Anyways, I have some good news for you guys. Due to...circumstances, I now have some more free time on my hands. Which means if I get my shit together, I should start producing these faster for a period of time (and believe me, I do wanna get my shit together). I do have like one or two _Honest Trailer_ parodies I want to do, but I might just push those to the side so I can spend more time on this.**

**Also, some of you people know that I've been challenged by an author by the name of "beefandrice''. While this isn't the first time I've been challenged by food (that chicken and shrimp didn't stand a chance), I'm afraid I have to decline under the circumstances that unless I disturb the flow of my story, I'm gonna absolutely lose. However, I am flattered and love the idea of being challenged to friendly writing competitions. I could totally see myself having fun with those by seeing who could write the more insane crackish oneshot or something along those lines. So yeah, if you wanna challenge me with something, feel free to do so. Just don't make it involve this story.**

**And finally, why the fuck are you not playing _Splatoon_ right now!? Yes I know I already said this, it deserves a second mention!**

**Now back to your scheduled programming.**

**Rating: T for strong language, alcohol and mild sexual references**

* * *

"Hmm…" Frederick mused.

"Well dear Father, what can you tell me about the fabled Mystletainn?" Owain asked the great knight.

The two of them, as well as Lucina, were currently inside Frederick's tent where the older gentleman was inspecting his son's new sword.

When Lucina had managed to catch up to Owain the next day, she questioned her cousin if the so-called "Mystletainn" was in fact the renowned weapon he claimed it to be. Offended that Lucina would "dare question the integrity of the blade of legend and song", Owain took them to his father's tent to have it examined and settle the matter.

"Well…" Frederick began as he turned the sword over to look at the other side.

"Come now Father, don't keep us in suspense. Save that for the battlefield." Owain urged his parent while chuckling at his last sentence.

Lucina decided to speak up at this point. "Owain, I'm not sure if—"

"A-bup-bup-bup!" Owain put a finger to the bluenette's lips, silencing her. "Lucina, please. Let us get a professional insight before jumping to conclusions."

Lucina scowled at her cousin as he took his finger away. She was the wielder of a legendary sword herself and has been so for years. Doesn't that make her one of the top experts on this subject?

Frederick cleared his throat to get the future children's attention, apparently ready to give his assessment. "After examining this weapon thoroughly, I can say for certain that there is nothing special about this sword."

"AHA!" Owain exclaimed proudly as if he didn't hear what he thought was wrong. "Now do you see Lucina!? The mythic blade does exist before our— Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?"

Okay, there we go.

"There is nothing special about this sword." Frederick repeated.

The myrmidon's eyes went wide at this revelation. "Th-…this cannot be!" he proclaimed, obviously in denial. "Surely you jest Father! Or are mistaken! Or some other third thing to prove you wrong!"

"Owain, I have helped milord keep proper maintenance of Falchion for his entire life. Part of it as my duty to serve him, and part of it to make sure he didn't break it."

"Wait, but Falchion is unbreakable." Lucina pointed out.

"We didn't want to take the chance." Frederick stated. "My point is, my knowledge of the divine sword is great enough that I even know who last reforged it generations before us. And in comparison to what I'm holding, this is a blade of extremely common make." He held up said blade to show the two its dull condition.

"But…but…is it still a valuable and powerful tool of justice!?" Owain asked pleadingly, desperate to salvage some good news from all of this. "Can I still strike fear into the hearts of my foes and cut them down with swift righteous fury!?"

The stalwart knight decided to be blunt with his response. "Honestly, you would be better off with a killing edge."

Owain's jaw dropped once those words reached his ears, and then his head drooped downward so quickly, it was amazing his neck hadn't snapped. It wasn't hard to imagine a rain cloud over his head, he looked that dejected.

"Err…I'm sorry Owain?" Lucina tried to console her cousin, but wasn't too sure how to. She hesitantly lifted her hand to try to pat him on the back.

Owain picked his head back up, causing Lucina to pull her hand back. "Oh woe is the Scion of Legend, for the path I have walked on has led me astray!" the swordsman started waxing melodramatics. "Oh how I should have known this was nothing more than a forgery, bestowed upon me by silver-tongued devils!"

"I'm pretty sure the villagers were trying to explain this was just an ordinary sword, but you were making a scene." Frederick clarified.

"Alas, if I had known this wasn't the true Mystletainn, perhaps I would have turned down their desperate pleas to show their gratitude for their savior."

"You begged them for it." Lucina reminded him.

"However, I did graciously accept their treasure, and to discard it would be an insult to their generosity. Therefore, I shall add this to the many mementos that I've received for my heroics! But fret not, for I know Mystletainn is still out there, beckoning me to be its rightful wielder. Until then, my sword hand throbs in anticipation, and I shall tame it as much as I can muster for the time being!"

Owain took the false Mystletainn from Frederick's hands and gave a salute. "Until our paths across again, farewell Father. Lucina." And with that, he strode out of the tent, leaving his two family members to stare at the flap he exited from.

"Well, he took that rather well I suppose." Frederick noted.

"It does seem rather hard to dampen his spirits." the future princess agreed. "Then again, Owain was of the key figures who kept our morale up and rallied the survivors in the future, so it's a good trait to have for someone in such a position."

"Is that so?" Frederick smiled. "I'm proud to have such an inspiring son."

"You should be Uncle Frederick."

"Uncle Frederick…" the knight repeated the name, as if testing out how it sounded.

Lucina took notice of this behavior. "I'm sorry, would you prefer it if I didn't call you that?"

Frederick shook his head. "No no, quite the opposite." He looked at the ceiling of the tent above him. "It's strange. I now have a son, I'm engaged, and will soon be a part of the very royal family I've sworn to protect and serve. So much has happened in one day, and it has been the happiest moment of my life."

Lucina gave a smile of her own. "I know what you mean, Uncle." She really did. The moment she was reunited with her parents and recruited into the Shepherds was the first time she felt truly happy after years of being on the brink of despair.

A thought popped up in Frederick's mind and he looked back down at his niece to see if she could quench that curiosity. "Pardon me milady, but if you don't mind, could you perhaps tell me what I was like in the future?"

"I don't mind at all. To be honest, there isn't much to say of you that is different from what you are like now. You were always stalwart and devoted to my family, even though Father always told you that you should be focusing more on your own."

"How odd." the knight pondered out loud. "Just this morning, I went to milord to warn him that I might no longer be able to serve him as well as I normally do, due to that very reason. Not only was your father fine with that, but he encouraged me to do so."

"As you should." Lucina agreed. "I can assure you Uncle that you never once neglected either family, yours or my own. You always somehow managed to achieve what it takes ten stewards to perform."

"Well I'm not a steward, but it's good to know I haven't lost my touch and still uphold my duty." Frederick stated contentedly. "After all, we wouldn't want milord to trip over a pebble, now would we?"

"I'm sure father can handle a little pebble." Lucina assured, knowing of Frederick's tendency to go overboard in his obligations and sweep the marching trail free of gravel.

"You'd be surprised." Frederick commented. "Will there be anything else milady?"

"I should be good, thank you Uncle." The swordswoman politely declined.

"Very well." said Frederick. "In that case, I better get back to work."

Lucina nodded her head once and proceeded to leave the tent. It was nice chatting with her uncle now that he has been revealed as such. Especially since they appear to have a bit in common, what with their devotion to Chrom and desire to aid others. It actually makes her feel guilty that several nights ago, she tried to throw her own loyal family member "under the caravan" in order to prove Robin he wasn't her father's murderer. The great knight doesn't have to know of any of this event, but maybe she could find a way to secretly make it up to him.

"Why has thou forsaken me Naga!?" cried out a familiar voice.

The swordswoman was shaken out of her thoughts and looked to see Owain with his back turned to her. Had he been just standing here right in front of the tent sobbing as soon as he left?

"Have I not yet proven my worthiness as your champion!?" Owain continued to wail. "Are there still more trials I have yet to pass!?"

That didn't sound like he was doing well. Maybe he took the info that his new sword wasn't Mysteltainn harder than he let on. Regardless of the reason, Lucina's cousin and friend was miserable, and she needed to at least attempt to cheer him up.

"Owain, are you alright?" she asked while walking up to him.

The young man didn't even turn around to look at her and just spoke in a low somber tone. "Do you know how long I've spent searching for Mysteltainn? How much of my life devoted to finding the one blade that can quell my sword hand's wrath?"

By now, Lucina could see that Owain still had the fake sword in front of him, and was clutching it tightly. "I may not know how long Owain, but I can sympathize. I too have been chasing a fleeting dream for some time now—"

"Three weeks." Owain interrupted. "THREE! TREACHEROUS! WEEKS!"

That…was a lot less time than Lucina had expected. "Oh. Well…a dream is still a dream, no matter how long you've had it—"

"I was at an inn, resting my wounds after a close encounter with a squad of Valmese soldiers who were intercepting a convoy." Owain continued, beginning to tell another story. "It was there in the lounge where I overheard a couple of men speak of a sacred treasure in a faraway village. A blade said to have been wielded by a mighty crusader, bestowed upon him by a divine dragon. I thought to myself, 'Yeah that sounds like something I could do. Let's check it out.' And it was then that my new journey began!"

"Um…" Lucina was really at a loss for words. It seems that his pursuit of the weapon was nothing more than a whim out of boredom. Definitely not something she would expect a noble hero to do.

"But now it is as clear as a glass sword that I was a fool for believing that my quest had ended so easily. After all, I haven't even faced off against a single demon from hell, let alone a legion of harpies."

Lucina's naivety kicked in and became curious about this detail. "That's what you have to fight against to acquire Mysteltainn?"

Owain finally turned his upper body around to face her. "I would imagine so." he sounded much more composed this time. "You don't just leave legendary weapons lying around unguarded." His face once again took on a sad expression and turned away. "So where is it? Where is the blade of yore? When shall my time come!?" He went back to weeping openly.

"Owain…" Lucina tried to reach to him.

The brown-haired man raised his finger towards her. "Just give me a moment." He sobbed for a few more seconds before he suddenly stopped. "Alright, I'm good now." he stated in his usual chipper voice and faced his full body towards his cousin.

Lucina was taken aback at how quickly he seemed to recover. "Really? You're fine just like that?"

"Oh Lucina." Owain chuckled while shaking his head. "Tragedy may strike, but the Scion of Legend will always rise again! Besides, this is only a minor setback. As I've told you before, Mysteltainn remains at large, and it will be in my sword hand's grasp by the end of our adventure!"

Lucina sighed happily out of relief. He does appear genuinely happy and ready to move on, so it doesn't seem like she has to worry for now.

"So Lucina, is there anything you need of me?" asked Owain.

"Actually, there are a couple of matters I was hoping to discuss with you." admitted the bluenette.

"Well then come now fair cousin! Spill your breast unto me!" Owain declared.

Lucina looked down at a certain part of her torso and then glared hard at Owain.

"Err…you know that's not what I meant." Owain nervously grinned, knowing how overly sensitive his cousin was about her chest size. "Just…tell me what's on your mind."

Lucina took a deep breath to calm herself and spoke in a serious manner. "Owain," she began. "Do you…know of the others' whereabouts?"

Owain's expression lost its cheerful glow. "I'm sorry, but in all my travels, I have yet to make contact with any of our companions." he answered regretfully. "You are the first of us I have ever come across in the last two years."

"I see." Lucina figured that would most likely be the case, but it still hurt to hear.

"But all is not lost." the myrmidon assured. "I may not have heard from our allies, but I have heard some rumors that should interest you."

"Like what?"

Owain smirked. "Well, there was this one about a girl travelling from village to village, vowing to spread justice across the land, and shattering everyone's eardrums while doing so."

"Cynthia!" Lucina perked up, happy to know that her sister was still out there.

"And there was another about a mysterious, masked wyvern rider who is said to brood wherever he goes. Either about cruel fate, or about all the women manhandling him."

"Gerome!"

"And apparently those same women have been complaining about another traveler sexually harassing them."

That one threw Lucina off. "Wait, the Virion of our time is long deceased."

"No, Inigo." Owain clarified.

"Oh, right." She now felt silly for not understanding who he meant, before realizing another of her friends was just mentioned. "Inigo!"

"And there are many more all across this continent. They are out there Lucina, of that I am sure of." Owain smiled, hoping it would be the final key to give the future Exalt comfort.

It worked, as Lucina's face showed that a wave of relief has washed over her and she put a closed hand to her heart. "So they're all doing well."

"Indeed." confirmed Owain. "In fact, the only one I haven't heard about was you. So I must ask, what have you been doing all these years?"

"Not much I'm afraid. I've just been keeping an eye on Father and the Shepherds."

"Ah, so you must have many tales to share about your adventures with them!"

Lucina shook her head. "You are mistaken. I have only just recently joined myself. Before that, I have only been watching from afar."

After that confession, what was thought to be impossible just occurred. Owain was silent for a good few seconds. "…What?"

"I felt it was necessary as I believed we shouldn't have interfered more than we needed to. It was what we originally planned for, was it not?"

"That was the plan!?" Owain sounded as if this was all news to him. "I thought we all agreed to become Shepherds ourselves in order to better protect everyone and to reunite with our parents so we could ease our pain!"

"That may be the case now, but would that have been the right decision two years ago?" argued Lucina.

"Yes." Owain bluntly refuted. "We would have warned everyone about all the events to come, trained under our parents to become stronger than ever, and take down Grima with our combined might. There is literally no downside."

Lucina could feel herself sweat drop. She did have a similar conversation on the ship, but now all of her flawed planning was being laid out to bare. "B-but what about the fact that we're the children of the Shepherds!? Sure we now know they accept us, but back when we were not sure and couldn't take the risk—"

"We could've easily given them false identities and still remain by their side. Is that not why you disguised yourself in the first place?"

Lucina blushed from embarrassment and put her hand to her temple. "Oh Naga. Am I truly that incompetent of a leader? No wonder we could not stop the fell dragon."

"N-no, don't…don't think like that!" Owain tried to reassure her. "So many odds were stacked against us, not even Robin could have come up with a strategy to turn things around."

"I suppose so." sighed Lucina. She decided it was best not to mope about this, and wanted to change topics now that a certain tactician was mentioned. "Speaking of Robin, you were the last one to see him yesterday, right Owain?"

Her cousin looked very uncomfortable all of a sudden, which did not make her feel good at all. "Yes. Yes I did." Owain confirmed. "Why do you ask?"

"I was wondering, how…" she hesitated, afraid of what the answer would be. "How is he doing?"

Owain scratched the back of his head. "It was weird. He was perfectly fine when he came to get me. But when I next saw him to do his interview, well…I have never seen a more broken man."

"Is he that bad?" Lucina asked pleadingly.

"I could sense the sadness emanating from his essence." the swordsman began to pick up in his theatrics, trying to lighten the mood. "And that is not how the renowned master tactician should act. I asked him what was wrong, but he would not utter a word about it and always insist he was fine. So I tried to cheer him up by regaling him with stories and jokes. I even tried attempting to convince him to help me find where the giant fire-breathing scorpions might lie to distract him from his sorrow."

That last bit probably didn't distract Robin, but it certainly worked on Lucina. "Giant fire-breathing scorpions?"

"I heard tale that they exist somewhere in this world, and I wish to test my mettle against such fearsome beasts now that Mysteltainn is in my possession."

"But you don't have Mysteltainn."

"Well I know that now. But even without it, I'm pretty sure I could still take on like five of them. Maybe even ten." Once he was done bragging, he got back on track. "But none of it worked. Now Sir Robin is still depressed, I'm still swordless, and I still don't know where to find those scorpions."

The bluenette could only look down in regret, feeling ashamed for being at least partly responsible for the strategist's depression.

Owain then remembered a certain little detail. "You were with him when he came to get me. Did anything happen after I left?"

Lucina flinched, but answered nonetheless. "He…asked about what his child was like."

"Oooooh…" Owain winced, connecting the dots on his own. "You told him the truth, didn't you?"

"Yes." Lucina guiltily admitted.

"Well that'll do it. I may not care if I have a fair maiden by my side or sire the Scion _of_ the Scion of Legend, but I know that's not true of everyone." The myrmidon then put on an encouraging smile. "But worry not, for I can guarantee that by the end of tonight, our tactician will be right as rain once more!"

That brought some hope back into Lucina and she lifted up her head in wonder. "Really!? How so!?"

Before Owain could answer, a voice rang out towards them. "There you are!"

The two Shepherds from the future looked to see Lissa walking towards them with her staff in hand.

"Oh, hello Aunt Lissa." greeted Lucina.

"Ah, Mother!" hailed Owain. "To what do I owe this pleasure!?"

"Well, I know it's not like me to do this, but I figured that you and I could do some mother-son bonding with some magic training." Lissa stated.

"Magic training?" Lucina said confused.

Owain chuckled. "Oho Mother, while I appreciate the offer, I'm afraid it will be a fruitless endeavor. As you can tell, I am a swordsman through and through."

"Oh you're not fooling anyone except maybe your cousin, mister." Lissa countered. "I know you can use magic. How else could you have 'cut through' that fire?"

Lucina probably should have been offended by that first comment, but she was too curious about all of this. "Wasn't it because of his burning passion?" she questioned.

"Y-yes! That's right!" Owain declared, but with noticeable hesitation. "My burning passion is so great, all other flames wither before it!"

"Owain." his mother glared at him. Her son was now visibly panicking, wondering what she was planning to do if he denied anything. Would she give him a verbal lashing? Would she tan his hide? No, he knew this woman would do something _far_ more punishing.

"ALRIGHT ALRIGHT! I CONFESS!" Owain screamed. "I know magic! Please spare my ear!"

"I knew it." Lissa smiled happily, clearly enjoying the hold she had over her child a bit too much.

"Owain, you know magic?" Lucina questioned, not having known this before. "Since when?"

Owain grinned at the swordswoman. "You didn't think I spent the last two years idling about, did you? I've kept up my training all this time by facing peril after peril, discovering new skills that I may use to fight against evil. One of which was the ability to conjure up and control the very elements themselves!"

"It's easier if you just say magic, honey." Lissa commented.

"But don't you need a tome or staff to do so?" Lucina asked.

Lissa shook her head. "Nope. All you need to perform magic is energy, and one can easily use their own to do so. However, it takes _a lot_ of energy to cast even a simple spell, so it's highly recommended that you don't do that. So instead, we mages and healers created tomes and staves to provide the energy for us without any of the harmful effects."

"Harmful effects? Owain, are you alright?"

"There is no need for your concern." Owain assured. "Manipulating fire that's already there takes significantly less energy than summoning it in the first place. So I am still in my prime."

"Well that's good to know." Lucina sighed of relief. "But I still have one more question. Why did you say you could cut through fire because of your 'burning passion'?"

"Why Lucina, surely you know of the element of surprise?" Owain questioned. "It's always more favorable if our enemies are caught off guard. And what's more shocking than a man slicing through flames through sheer force?"

"Oh, that was very clever of you." Lucina complimented.

"And let's be honest, that sounds way cooler and more impressive than 'just magic'." Owain added somewhat sheepishly.

That seemed more like a reason the brunette would do something. Granted, even Lucina had to admit it does sound more impressive, though she felt that the magic explanation made it more credible.

"Oh Owain, never change." Lissa giggled. "So how 'bout that magic training?"

"I'm not sure." Owain pondered out loud. "I much prefer to fight with a sword than any spell."

Lissa wasn't deterred and put on a sly smile. "I just thought the 'mightiest of heroes' would be the best at magic _and_ sword-wielding."

Owain gave his mother a disapproving look. "I know what you're trying to do Mother." His expression then softened immensely. "And you are absolutely right! Come now Mother, teach me everything you know!"

"Goody!" Lissa cheered. She then turned her attention to her niece. "And remember Lucina, bachelorette party tonight."

"Oh right, the party." Lucina nearly forgot all about that. "Where is that again?"

"Anna was kind enough to rent us out the nicest tavern in town for the night. So don't worry if you're late, you can't miss it."

Lucina wondered why of all places, they would celebrate at a tavern. She didn't know what a bachelorette party entailed, and the only parties she has ever been to were the ones her mother threw for her when she was a little girl for her birthdays. Those were always fun, what with all her friends being invited, the games they played, and the scrumptious cake they ate. If bachelorette parties were anything like those, she was sure to have a blast.

"Think you'll be fine without your mother tonight Owain?" Lissa playfully teased her son.

"You needn't worry Mother." proclaimed Owain. "For you see, we men have decided that since you ladies will have a bachelorette party tonight, we will throw our own bachelor party for Father!"

"Aww, how thoughtful." cooed the cleric. "I bet I know who's gonna be the life of that party."

A realization went off in Lucina's head. "Wait, will Robin be at this bachelor party?"

"Hey, you already promised to come to my party." Lissa argued, although it was easy to tell she was just having fun. "Don't think you can just put on your 'Marth' disguise and sneak in with the guys."

The future children politely ignored her and continued their conversation. "He will be Lucina. And yes, this is what I was talking about earlier. As long as he's surrounded by good friends, Robin will be back on his feet."

Lucina smiled at that. "Alright, I have faith in you Owain."

"As you should." The swordsman bragged in good humor. "Well that should be it for now. We shall cross paths again soon." With that, he gave a two-finger salute and walked off.

Lissa nodded her head. "Yep, see you tonight, Luce!" She too turned and left, following her son.

As soon as the two were out of her sight, Lucina's face faltered, thoughts drifting back to the tactician. She truly did believe Owain could help out Robin, but would a party be enough? She knew he really wanted a family, and having such a dream taken away would have deeply hurt anybody.

She couldn't help herself but think back to her childhood. One of her favorite things to do back then was to play "house" with Robin. Not only was it fun, but she always loved pretending that they really were a family together. It always meant so much to her. But could it have meant even more to Robin?

* * *

_The Original Future…_

"Honey, I'm home!" Robin called out cheerfully as he walked through the door.

The tactician walked into the bedroom of the elder princess, where he saw the little Lucina at a toy medieval stove. Behind her, there was a small table used for tea parties already set up with plastic plates, utensils, teacups, and a teapot. Surrounding the table were three tiny chairs, one already occupied by a baby doll.

"Hello dear!" Lucina greeted cheerfully. "How was work today?"

"Well let's see…" Robin mused. "I had to fill out three times the paperwork of any normal worker, I nearly passed out during 'Frederick's Fanatical Fitness Hour', and Chrom called me some names that you are too young to hear. So nothing out of the ordinary."

Despite Robin's playful grin, Lucina couldn't help but frown cutely. "Is Father bullying you again? Do I need to have a talk with him?"

Robin chuckled heartily. "As much as I like to sick my 'big bad wife' on him, it's nothing I can't handle. All I need is some dinner and then my day will be fixed." He took his seat in one of the comically undersized chairs.

Lucina's face instantly lit up. "Okay! It's just about ready." She started tinkering at her toy stove for a bit before walking over to her "husband". "Tonight we're having steak. Eat up!" She placed a steak made of toy clay on Robin's plate. It actually looked pretty well-modeled for being made by a little girl.

"Mmm, steak. Yum." Robin rubbed his hands in anticipation. "How did you know I was in the mood for this?"

"Well it was either that or…" Lucina's body shuddered violently. "Kjelle's leftovers."

"Oh come on, it can't be that bad."

Lucina sighed and walked over to a nightstand next to her bed. She opened the drawer and pulled out something that almost made the whitehead jump out of his chair. There in the girl's hands was some disgusting lump of aqua-colored toy clay. It was covered in tiny, red, clay balls on top, and bright green, ropey streams that looked like tentacles placed on the bottom. And maybe it was his eyes playing tricks on him, but Robin could've sworn he saw that thing twitch.

"Huh. I see she takes after her mother." he commented. "Is that supposed to be an octopus?"

"It's spaghetti and meatballs." stated Lucina.

"…Okay." said Robin. "I have no other comment."

Lucina nodded her head as if she expected this type of response and placed the abomination back into the drawer (which made Robin worry for her sanity, because who would want to keep _that_ around?). She then took her seat at the table and proceeded to pretend to feed mush to the baby doll.

Meanwhile, Robin pretended to eat his "steak". "Mmm…you've really outdone yourself this time Lucina."

The kid princess blushed. She knew he was just being sweet, but it was still nice to get a compliment from him. "Thank you Robin. Would you like me to pour you some tea?"

"Oh don't worry, I can pour it myself." Robin assured as he reached out for the teapot.

Lucina pouted at that. "I can pour it. It's the wife's job to take care of her family."

"And you've done such a wonderful job with that." acknowledged Robin. "You've been working all day to do so, the last thing you would probably want to do is to wait on your husband. Let me help around a bit."

Lucina just pouted even more. "I'm a big girl! I can do it!" she argued.

Robin stared at her for a while before laughing out loud. He sometimes gets so into these games, that he forgets his "loving wife" is just a little girl who likes to prove herself. "Alright, you win. Could you please pour me a cup of tea, honey?" He pulled his hand away from the pot and used it to lift his cup up instead.

"Of course dear!" Lucina finally smiled and she poured the imaginary tea into the man's cup.

Robin took a sip of the "tea" and looked wholly pleased. "Ooh, is this some sort of special blend?" he asked.

Lucina nodded her head. "Mhm. It's strawberry gingerbread Darjeeling. The finest tea in all of Rosanne. Aunt Lissa gave me some."

"Well she certainly knows her tea. And you certainly make a good wife."

The petite bluenette blushed once more. "Y-you really think so?"

"Absolutely." Robin broke character and began to shower the girl with praise. "You're kind, caring, and you want what's best for your family. I would do anything to marry a girl as half as compassionate as you."

Lucina's face flushed even more and her heart felt like it was soaring. Is this a sign that her dream can come true? Will one day can she be with Robin forever?

"I'm telling you Lucy, you'll make the almost-perfect wife for a lucky guy someday."

That statement broke the princess out of her thoughts and she gave a cute glare towards Robin. "What do you mean 'almost-perfect'?" she interrogated.

The strategist wasn't fazed, and was in fact more amused than anything. "Well…" he started to speak with a cheeky smile. "There is one thing a perfect wife would do that you haven't yet."

"I can do it!" declared Lucina. "What is it!?"

Robin's smile only grew and he leaned his head forward. "I would think the perfect wife would give her husband a kiss on the cheek every now and again." He tapped the side of his face to emphasize his point.

Now Lucina's face was redder than before and she kept turning her head in every direction except towards the man himself. Kiss Robin? Sure she always dreamt of this moment, but she wasn't ready yet! Everything was moving too fast for her!

Robin noticed the girl having some sort of internal strife and struggled to contain his laughter. All he asked for was a chaste kiss on the cheek, and that sends her into a frenzy? Sometimes this girl was just too innocent and adorable for him.

"Alright, alright. Calm down." Robin chuckled. "Since a kiss is apparently too much, how about just a hug instead?" He held out his arms wide open, inviting the girl to embrace him.

Lucina managed to relax somewhat at this new proposal. She was secretly disappointed that she missed her opportunity to give Robin a kiss, but at least she can handle a hug from him. She entered his arms wholeheartedly, letting the warmth and comfort of his presence envelop her.

"Okay, now you'll make the perfect wife." said Robin. He let go of Lucina, ending the hug a little sooner than the child would have liked, but she said nothing about it. Instead she just went over to the baby doll and picked it up.

"It's getting late now." Lucina stated, getting back in character. "Time to tuck in our daughter…um…" She froze, panicking on the inside again as shown by her wide eyes and pale face. She forgot one important task a mother must do. She forgot to name her daughter. What kind of parent forgets to name their child!? She's a terrible mother!

"Morgan."

"Huh?" Lucina turned around to look at Robin.

"That's what I would name my child." The tactician then looked as if he was staring into a far-off distance and proceeded to talk in a soft voice. "Such a beautiful name for an equally beautiful girl, or even a boy. They would jump for joy whenever I would call for them, and I would feel the same whenever they would call me 'Father'." A pleased smile found its way to his face.

Lucina stared at the white-haired man, wondering if he was fine. She wasn't too sure what he was going on about, but he did sound passionate about it.

Suddenly, Robin appeared to have snapped out of his trance and refocused his attention on the princess. "Oh, sorry Lucina." he apologized with a bashful smile while scratching the back of his head. "I was just thinking out loud. You can name her whatever you want.

"Hmm…" Lucina looked down at the doll, thinking about what Robin just said before shaking her head. "No, I like it." She picked her head back up and wore a huge grin.

"Our daughter's name is Morgan."

* * *

_The New Present…_

It seems so obvious now. Sure she was very young back then, but she felt she should have still recognized the signs. Him envisioning his own make-believe child by itself should have tipped her off that he wanted nothing more than a family in his life. And now that's been taken away from him.

Even worse, a few days ago, he figured out on his own that he's most likely the one to kill Chrom, the very man who gave him his new life. Having that knowledge piled on top cannot be doing wonders on his psyche. And it's all because of her. She was the one who confirmed he remained unmarried, she was the one who mentioned that her father was betrayed by his best friend. Robin was suffering now because of her, and she couldn't bear the guilt it brought.

Even if Owain and the other men would help him at the bachelor party, Lucina felt she should at least apologize to Robin for causing him so much pain in the first place, maybe even help ease it. She was always one to make up for her misdeeds after all. With that goal in mind, she set off for the tactician's tent.

After walking halfway towards her destination, Lucina stopped when she suddenly felt a chill in the air. A dark, foreboding presence lingered around her, and she knew only one person could give off such a malicious sensation.

_**Tharja.**_

Was that woman spying on her this entire time? Was she now just deciding to reveal herself? Where was she even hiding? Behind a nearby crate? In the trees? Maybe even underground? The future Exalt found her answer when she looked to her right and saw a pitch black tent. Okay, so maybe she wasn't stalking anyone, and just doing whatever she normally does in this nearby tent. Lucina noticed a note attached on the entrance flap and read what was written on it.

_Keep out unless you're Robin or in an emergency._

_P.S. Do me a favor, don't get in an emergency._

This was definitely Tharja's tent. Now normally Lucina would do everything in her power to avoid the dark mage (especially when she plans to see Robin), but she remembered back on the ship that Tharja wanted to know a few facts about the future. Talking to her didn't sound pleasant, but Lucina did have time to kill, plus this would be a good opportunity to see what this woman was like. And if all goes well, she'll be able to tell Robin that she got along with Tharja like he wanted (of course, Lucina wasn't holding her breath on that one).

She went inside the tent and already was creeped out. It was pretty dark inside, only illuminated by the several candles scattered about. The only other things that appeared to be in the tent was a bedroll to the side, and a desk in the far back where the sorceress herself seemed to be working on something there.

"Whoever's there, can't you read?" Tharja "greeted".

"It's me, Lucina." the guest announced just as bitter.

Tharja turned around and scowled at the newcomer. "Oh yes, the princess. What do you want?"

Before Lucina could answer, a third Shepherd in the form of a farm boy with a pot on his head walked in.

"Hey Tharja!" called out Donnel. He didn't seemed unnerved by the atmosphere at all. "Oh, howdy Lucina! Hope I ain't interruptin' anythin' between you ladies!"

"Don't worry, I'm hoping she'll leave soon." Tharja glowered at Lucina, who returned it in full after hearing that comment. "Do you have what I requested?"

"Yes Ma'am!" Donnel cheerfully confirmed and lifted up a dead bat. "But uh, 'fraid it died when it got caught in m'trap."

"It's better this way." Tharja stated as she took the dead flying rodent. "Now it won't struggle when I rip off its wings. Now fetch me two venomous black snakes, boy."

"Can do!" Donnel hurried out of the tent to complete his new task.

Lucina just stood there dumbfounded as she watched that whole scene unfurl. Why would anyone, let alone a kind soul such as Donnel, want to help Tharja with her thankless demands and gladly do so? There must be an explanation.

"Did you hex Donnel so that he will obey your every whim?" Lucina asked accusingly.

"I wish. That would make more sense." Tharja admitted. She placed the bat on her desk. "I can't imagine why that hayseed keeps following my orders. He must want some favor in return."

"Have you ever considered that maybe he's doing all of this out of the goodness of his heart?" Lucina inquired.

Tharja stared blankly at her as if she just said the stupidest thing ever. Apparently the goodness in humanity is a foreign concept to this woman.

"Never mind." sighed Lucina.

"What do you want?" Tharja repeated her question.

"You said you wanted to ask me some questions about the future back on the voyage. I figured you would like to get your answers sooner rather than later."

Tharja raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? Fine, I can make an exception for the intrusion. I'd rather get this over with as soon as possible. So with that in mind—"

"You don't marry Robin." Lucina interrupted, knowing what the first question would be.

"What?" hissed Tharja.

"You don't marry Robin." Lucina restated. "He remained unwedded his whole life."

"Interesting." Tharja muttered. "Such a shame he was always too shy to propose to me."

"What!?" Lucina exclaimed. Where in the world had she come up with that theory?

"Well it's obvious that I am the only woman in his life. He must have never been able to work up the nerve to make it official." She grew a creepy smile on her face. "But that's okay. Because I know he always loved me. And I will always love him. Hee hee hee hee."

That was not the reaction Lucina was expecting. Was this woman so delusional that she truly believed Robin loved her despite rejecting every one of her advances? Granted, Tharja still didn't know that she was actually married to someone else in the future, but the swordswoman held her tongue for fear of the should-be spouse's safety.

"I'm not sure how much of that is true." Lucina commented huffily.

"Oh don't be like that. Jealousy is such an undesirable trait." taunted Tharja.

Lucina narrowed her eyes. She did _not_ just say that.

"You've done your part." Tharja continued. "You've relayed me the problem of the future, now I can be the one to fix it. Robin and I were meant to be together. I just haven't been by his side nearly enough for him to see it yet."

Lucina just glared even harder. This could not have backfired any more painfully. Clearly it was a mistake to get involved with this woman in any way, shape, or form. Now she has probably doomed Robin's personal space for eternity.

"Well, since you got what you wanted, I'll just be leaving now." she turned around and began to head for the exit.

"Where do you think you're going?" Tharja inquired, back to her usual standoffish nature. "I still have questions for you."

Lucina stopped in her tracks and looked back at the witch. She honestly didn't expect her to ask about anything other than her and Robin's relationship. And though Lucina wanted nothing more than to get away right now, she was always one to be polite, and walking away from answering Tharja's questions (which she offered to do herself no less) would be rude.

"Very well. What else would you like to know?"

Tharja paused before she spoke again, looking very upset all of a sudden. "Do you know…how Robin dies?"

Lucina winced, now feeling just as distraught "I'm sorry, but I don't know."

It was the truth. She has heard at least some form of rumors about how every other Shepherd has fallen, but Robin always remained a mystery. All she knows is that he just…disappeared.

"Tch. What good are you then?" Tharja scoffed, although there was a subtle distress in her tone.

"Just because I'm from the future doesn't mean I know everything." Lucina stated. "I can tell you how you died though."

It was the least she could offer. She may not like the sorceress, but she certainly didn't want her to die.

"It doesn't matter if I live if Robin isn't around!" Tharja suddenly shouted. "I care about him and him alone! If I have to sacrifice myself to save him, then so be it!"

The future princess was taken aback by this outburst. She didn't think that Tharja would ever lay her life for somebody else, but here she was making that very declaration, and Lucina could tell she meant it. Maybe she was more than just a creepy stalker, maybe she did have some hidden depths like Robin hinted at. Now if she could only show that same compassion towards everyone else.

"Believe me, I came back to save everyone, especially Robin. I may not know how he died, but I'll do everything in my power to prevent that from happening again."

"So you can keep him for yourself?" Tharja accused.

"What— No!" Lucina denied, wondering if this woman had a one-track mind. "It's because he deserves to live just as much as anyone else. Maybe even more so since none of us would have made it this far if it was not for him. He—"

"Alright, I get it. You can stop with the lecture."

That interruption didn't improve Lucina's exasperated mood, but at least they both understood what was important now. "Anything else?"

"Just one more thing." Tharja stated in her usual bored manner. "Is there a point to all of this?"

"What do you mean?" The bluenette really did need more details.

"I mean is there any reason for why we're still bothering with trying to stop Grima?" Tharja clarified.

"How could you say that!?" Lucina cried out. "If we don't do anything, the fell dragon will reign over this world and bring nothing but destruction! The Risen will thrive, lives will be lost, and almost all hope will be extinguished! Why would you think there is no reason to all of this!?"

"Because you're here." Tharja stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

At this point, glaring at the dark mage should be the norm for Lucina. "Do you despise me so much that you would let the world perish just to spite me?"

"I wouldn't go that far." Tharja said nonchalantly. "Maybe a small town, but definitely not the world."

Oh this woman was a piece of work. Lucina knew she didn't like her, but couldn't she at least _try_ to hide her animosity.

"But that's not what I meant." Tharja began to explain. "What I mean is, since you came back in time to help us, doesn't that mean we've already failed?"

Ah, so that's what she meant. Lucina once questioned this herself before going back to the past, but Naga explained how it really functions. So she could just paraphrase what the divine dragon told her.

"Actually, that's not how time travel works. You see, with every decision we make, we create a branch in the timeline. So whenever you travel back in time, you're really just entering a previous branch. So I guess I'm not really changing the future, but instead trying to create a new branch, one where everyone lives."

That all made sense to Tharja, but that does bring up another question. "But wait, doesn't that mean that everyone in your timeline who didn't travel back with you is doomed?"

Lucina froze as her face went completely pale. "No…oh gods no…" She gripped her head with both hands and started panicking. "What have I done!? All those innocent survivors! Everyone! They can't fend for themselves! We were all that was left to protect them! And now…Oh gods! I'm Sorry! I'm Sorry! I'm—"

_*SMACK!*_

Lucina was shaken out of her thoughts of despair when she felt a hard stinging sensation in her cheek. She realized immediately what had happened. Tharja just slapped her.

"What was that for!?" she yelled.

"You were getting annoying." Tharja bluntly answered.

"How dare you!" Lucina exclaimed. Maybe she did need that slap, but not for the reason she was given.

"You should be thanking me I'm not your mother. She would have mistaken a punch for a slap."

"My mother is not that foolish!"

The black-haired woman once again stared blankly at Lucina as if she just said something beyond dumb. Though this time, the latter had to concede there was some truth to that.

"Okay, fair enough." she relented.

"Well going back to your little episode, there really is no point in grieving for all those people." Tharja began to reason. "There's going to be casualties, and there's going to be sacrifices. That's the world we live in."

"That doesn't make me feel better." Chrom's daughter sulked.

"Sorry, comforting others has never been my strong suit." It was hard to tell if Tharja was being sincere or not. "But if it's any consolation, everyone who died in your future is still alive now, right? That means they're not gone just yet. They may still be suffering in another timeline, but you can still save them in this one by sucking it up and stopping Grima like you intended."

"I…suppose that is the best I can hope for." Lucina acknowledged, her spirits finally starting to pick up again. "Thank you. I never thought you of all people could be so reasonable."

"I can be civil. As long as you know your place." Tharja's voice retook her normal antagonistic quality that reminded Lucina that they were still rivals for Robin's affections. "You can go now."

Lucina nodded her head and once again began to head out. But once she pushed the flap open, she stopped when she heard Tharja call out to her again.

"Oh and by the way, if you're looking for Robin, don't bother. He and some of the other men went into town to get things ready for their bachelor party."

"Oh…" Lucina muttered. "Okay then. Thanks for telling me." And with that, she exited.

Well that was certainly enlightening. She still didn't like the dark-minded female by any means, but she now could tell there was more to her than meets the eye. Granted, she highly doubted that any future encounters would go that smoothly, and frankly, she didn't want any more if she could avoid them (but knowing her luck, the two of them might as well be tent mates).

But now there was the problem with Robin. While Lucina should probably be worried that Tharja somehow knew she was looking for him, right now she was more concerned about how she was going to help the strategist if he wasn't around. Guess she should just find something to occupy her time until her Aunt's bachelorette party and hope that the male Shepherds fix everything like her cousin promised.

* * *

_That night…_

"And that is when I, Owain, the Scion of Legend, managed to pull out and release everything I had on the Risen!"

The people nearby the storyteller applauded and laughed.

The men of the Shepherds were celebrating Frederick's bachelor party at a tavern in town. While they didn't have a rich friend to rent out the entire bar like Anna did for the girls (well they did have Chrom, but he was the only guy absent for some reason), they were fine with just hanging out at a bunch of tables and ordering drinks. The other patrons didn't mind them either, and in fact seem to enjoy their antics.

"Ah, do you hear how they cheer my compatriots!?" Owain announced. "Do you see how much they are impressed!?" He started chugging his mug of ale.

"Yeah, but what is it that they actually liked?" Gaius pretended to ponder. "The story, the fact that it sounded like a sex story, or Henry's ball making it really sound like a sex story?"

"I know, right? This thing is the best." chirped Henry. Next to his glass was the Translatorb sitting on top of a filled mug of its own.

"Another round for our future heroes!" ordered a bar fly.

"Even the swearing ball?" questioned the bartender.

"Especially the swearing ball!"

"Huzzah!" cheered the patrons.

"_Translation: Fuck yeah!_"

"Huzzah!"

"_Translation: Fuck yeah!_"

"Huzzah!"

"_Translation:—_"

"We get it!" Lon'qu shouted.

"Chill out Lon'qu." Vaike chuckled. "It's a party! We're here to celebrate our man's final days—"

"We're at war." Lon'qu reminded.

"Months of freedom!"

Frederick did his best to keep up his stone-face, but others could tell he was quite uncomfortable. "I never agreed to any of this. In fact, I suspect the reason you are all throwing this party in the first place is so you all have a reason to drink."

"Don't be stupid. You don't need a reason to drink." Basilio affirmed, sitting next to the great knight. "This just gives us a reason to drink excessively! Ba ha ha!"

"Precisely why I don't approve of any of this." Frederick chided. "And I definitely don't want my son to be drinking."

"Nonsense Father, I feel astounding!" Owain proclaimed. "It's like I just got a status buff!" He took another swig of his mead.

"And there's our first victim." Gaius commented, noting that the young man was already hammered.

"Well I hope you are at least feeling better about your sword being a fake." Frederick said to his offspring.

"What, you mean 'Not-Mystletainn'? It's fine~" Owain assured. "I mean who needs a legendary weapon that grants +20 to all stats, and 200% EXP, and…is super effective against dark-types…" You could hear him get more upset the more he went on. "For Naga's sake, it even allows you to oki on wake up!"

"What?" questioned Frederick.

"I might be mixing up my terminology." Owain stated in a dull tone.

"Still, Vaike does have a point." Stahl mentioned before stuffing a few peanuts in his mouth. "It is a party. You have to learn to let loose and have some fun once in a while."

"I had fun once." the stalwart man disclosed. "I can't say I'm a fan of it."

"Big shocker there." Vaike sarcastically responded.

"Aw come on Freddy, how can you not be having fun right now?" Henry queried. "Sure they don't sell Bloody Marys here, but we've got Kellam serving us the drinks. How awesome is that!?"

"No offense to the big guy, but how is that awesome?" Vaike asked.

"Are you kidding me? It's like having a ghost for a waiter." As soon as Henry said that, a floating tray holding several mugs hovered over to the tables. One of the mugs levitated for a bit before gently landing in front of the dark mage. "So cool."

"How do you do that again?" Donnel asked thin air.

"It's a gift." said Kellam. "And a curse."

"Kellam's unnatural invisibility aside, must we really do nothing but intoxicate ourselves?" Frederick asked another of what was bound to be many questions that night.

"The man of the hour is right." boomed Basilio. "It's time to bring out the strippers!" Virion, Gregor, and the boozers in the tavern all cheered.

"What—NO!" Frederick cried out. "I am engaged to the princess of the royal family and the most wondrous woman in the world. And I do not wish to sully our courtship with naked tramps."

"Relax Stiff, we didn't get any strippers." assured Gaius, disappointing everyone who was excited before.

"Yeah, Olivia and Tharja are over at Lissa's thing." Vaike added.

A good number of the Shepherds gave the fighter a rotten look.

"What? You can't tell me I was the only one who thought that's what they were when we first saw 'em."

"If that's what you thought, I'm scared to know what you first thought about Nowi." Stahl muttered.

"One in training." admitted Vaike.

While the other Shepherds tried to shake that mental image out of their minds, Virion made his first contribution to the conversation. "Wait, if there really are no courtesans, then who is this fair maiden by my side?"

"It's me, Libra, Virion." revealed the "fair maiden", one of the few here who refuse to drink.

"Oh…" Virion uttered. "How foolish of me to make that same error yet again. I do apologize sincerely. Perhaps you should think about getting a new hairstyle."

"The thought has crossed my mind." Libra stated. "And it's alright, you're clearly a little tipsy. As long as we understand that I'm not a *ahem* stripper."

"Hold on." Gregor announced. He started looking over the war monk as if he was inspecting him. "Good enough for Gregor." He pulled out some gold and placed it in front of Libra. "Here's five coins. Get naked."

Libra glowered at the mercenary while nearly everyone else laughed. However, another of the "non-alcoholic" Shepherds, Ricken, noticed something about their husky friend.

"Wait a minute, Gregor are you drunk already? Owain I can understand, but you? I thought you could hold your liquor better than that."

"Ohohoho." Gregor chuckled. "Gregor helped himself to twenty mugs of mead before party started."

Ricken was stunned. "Twenty mugs!? How are you still alive!?"

"Gregor do what Gregor do best. And what Gregor do…should not be done in first place."

The mage just shook his head and tried to change topics. "But seriously, is there anything we can do besides drink booze all night?"

"I have a deck of cards." Kellam spoke, raising said deck. "I have this in case anybody wants to play Poker with me. Of course, no one knows I'm around, so I just always end up playing Solitaire by myself. And none of you are even acknowledging me right now, are you?"

"I've got a Fire tome." Henry held up his book, not even acknowledging the disembodied voice. "We could always use it to burn down the tavern."

Lon'Qu facepalmed. "Why would you think that's a good idea?"

"Because it's fun, fire is pretty, and this party would go out in a blaze of glory."

"_Translation: We don't need no water, let the motherfucker burn!_"

"Hmm…" Frederick mused, looking somewhat interested for once since the festivity started. "Well these tables and chairs are made of pine, much more flammable than most woods." He tapped the table a couple of times. "Not to mention we do have all this alcohol."

"No no no no no no no!" everyone, except for Henry and Owain, tried to dissuade the royal servant from engaging in his love of pyros.

"We are not burning down the tavern." Gaius declared. "At least not this sober."

"Well I would appreciate it if we could find some other activity besides drinking and harassing me at my own party." Frederick argued.

"Fine. We'll just harass buzzkill #2 instead." Everybody then turned to a certain strategist.

Robin had been staring solemnly into his mug the whole night, not even once joining in the other Shepherds' fun. His mind was occupied with the information he learned from Lucina yesterday. Ever since then, he has become _very_ lethargic, and just wanted to get away from everything. The only reason he was even here was because the others dragged him along.

"Hey, Bubbles. Snap out of it." Gaius snapped his fingers a couple of times in front of his pal's face.

Robin shook his head. "Huh?" He looked all around to see all the guys staring at him. "Oh, sorry guys. What were we talking about again?"

"We were talking about how much of a party pooper you are." the thief half-jested.

"Oh…sorry." Robin gazed back into his glass, causing Gaius to sigh.

"What's wrong Bubbles? You've been moping all day and it's kind of bumming us out."

"It's nothing, really. I've just been having an off day is all." It was an obvious lie. He doesn't mean any harm by giving it of course. He just didn't want his friends to worry.

"You aren't fooling anyone with that. You might as well spill the jellybeans, 'cause we'll find out one way or another. We have ways of making you talk."

Robin just quirked an eyebrow. "And what ways would that be?"

"Hi." piped up Henry.

"Okay I'll talk." Robin quickly complied. He took a deep breath before he began speaking. "You see…since Owain was Frederick and Lissa's child from the future, I thought that maybe I could have a child of my own." He had to pause to compose himself for what he was about to say next. "But when I asked Lucina about it, she not only told me I don't have one, I'm not even married. I'm…all alone."

That really brought down the mood surrounding the Shepherds, but they were understanding of their companion's plight. "You really wanted a family, didn't you?" noted Stahl.

"I did." Robin had to hold back a tear from falling.

"Well you know what we gotta do now then, right?" Vaike asked rhetorically. "We gotta help you fix that!"

"What?" gasped Robin, now shocked out of his stupor.

"Yeah." Henry chipped in. "If our pal is feeling down, it's up to us to cheer him up."

"And if cheering him up means tying him down, well then that's the price _he's_ gotta pay. Ba ha ha!" joked Basilio, though it was evident he cared.

"There is no shame in wanting to worm your way into a woman's heart." Virion comforted. "Why, if I had learned that I would never be graced with a lady's love, I too would be devastated."

"We were gonna go change the future by stoppin' that there Grima, right?" questioned Donnel. "I don't see why we can't change it more by helpin' you get a pretty wife."

Robin saw all encouraging smiles the guys were giving him, understanding that they all wanted to sincerely help him. He knew he shouldn't have expected any less from them, but it was nice to know that are always people that cared for him and he could count on. Though it wasn't enough to bring him out of his misery, it was a start.

"Thanks guys." He gave a soft smile before a curious expression replaced it. "But do you really think you could help me find that special someone?"

"All you just need is an assist." advised Owain, still very much drunk. "Though your footsies could still use some work."

"What?"

"Sorry, still mixing it up."

"No, the kid's right." beamed Vaike. "What you need is a wingman! And who better to be your wingman than the Vaike?"

"Um…I'm not sure if that's necessary." The tactician sweat dropped.

"Sure it is! You need someone to put in a good word for you so you don't seem like a perverted loser." The blonde smirked.

"Gee, thanks kettle." Robin deadpanned. "Seriously, you of all people have no right to say that to me."

"Hey, I remember a certain someone spyin' on the girls bathin' those two times."

"Yeah. _You_."

"But you _were_ with me."

"I found you. _And_ caught you."

"But you did want to see them with me. Don't deny it, I could tell. You can't pull one over Teach."

"Really? I would think it would be easy to."

"Not when your pants look tight."

Robin blushed and took a big sip while looking away from the others. Okay, maybe he walked right into that one. Maybe there was some truth to what Vaike said. Maybe he was more interested in the female body than he let on. Maybe he was, in fact, a pervert. But he is a gentleman first, and he will always give women the respect and privacy they deserve. Even if that meant he had to blue ball himself.

"Must we talk about his love life now?" Lon'qu inquired. "I'm willing to give him moral support, but maybe we should do this when we're not drunk idiots."

"Don't worry, we'll deal with your lady problems soon enough." Vaike assured, though his comment only made the swordsman leer at him. "Besides, if girls talk about nothin' but guys all the time, we should be allowed to chat about them every once in a while."

"That's just sexist." remarked Ricken.

"Hey stereotypes exist because they're true at some point." the fighter showed off his political incorrectness (according to society anyways). "It's a known fact that when two girls are together, they will never shut up about us men. Hell, I bet the gals at Lissa's party are talkin' about guys right! Now!"

* * *

_At the bachelorette party…_

"Hey girls, let's play the knife game!" exclaimed a drunk Sumia.

"Little Miss Klutz who trips over a worm handling sharp objects? Oh this I gotta see." chuckled an equally inebriated Sully.

"What's a matter Sully? You scared of a widdle knife?" the Queen of Ylisse taunted while holding up a sharp steak knife.

"Oh it is on like you on Chrom!"

"Oh it is definitely on now! Because I'm the only one who gets to say that!"

All the other female Shepherds gathered around the two as Sully placed her hand on the table, fingers spread apart. Sumia raised her knife and proceeded to stab the open spaces between the cavalier's fingers back and forth, while everyone watching began to chant.

"Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!"

* * *

_Back at the bachelor party…_

"So yeah, I'll help you Robin ol' buddy! First step: What do ya like in a woman?" Vaike asked.

Robin just kept silent. He appreciated what his friend was trying to do for him, but he felt it would just hinder more than help.

However, Gaius answered for him. "That's easy, anything with blue hair."

Only the more serious Shepherds didn't laugh at that. And Robin of course, who instead just looked surprised and forced down a blush.

Henry then stopped giggling all of a sudden. "Wait are we laughing at Robin's love for Lucina or Chrom?"

"Yes." confirmed Gaius.

Everyone laughed even harder at that, and Robin had a feeling that this teasing would only be the tip of the iceberg.

"Y-you guys have it all wrong!" he stuttered. "I-I don't like Lucina like that."

"What about Chrom?" snickered Donnel.

"I'm straight." deadpanned Robin.

"Don't hate." countered Gregor. More laughter.

"Come on Bubbles, there's no hiding it. You clearly have a thing for Blue Jr." claimed Gaius. "I saw you two walking in the forest the other day. Having a nice chat, talking about your dreams." He gave a sly smile. "Asking her out to lunch."

"Oooooh…" some of the members cooed in good fun.

"It wasn't like that! I just wanted to give her some company while she ate." Of course looking back on it now, the white-haired man could see how that could seem like he was asking the bluenette out.

"You two do seem to be around each other a lot." Ricken pointed out.

"Hey, you're supposed to be one of the smart ones that backs me up."

"I'm just saying."

The teasing would have continued if not for a certain great knight. "Hold on." Frederick spoke. Everyone silenced themselves and listened, as the man sounded fairly serious. "Robin, is this all true? Do you really hold feelings for milord's daughter?"

Robin could feel himself start to sweat, worried what Chrom's most loyal servant might do to him if he gave an answer he didn't like. That piercing gaze of his sure wasn't helping.

"Well…" He tried to think of a convincing way to deny everything, but just couldn't find a way how. Giving a reluctant sigh, he figured there was no point in hiding it anymore. "Maybe…I have a little crush on her."

"Ooooooooooh…" the playful Shepherds repeated.

"I see." Frederick stated calmly. "I did not know."

"Yeah no duh you didn't know." Vaike snarked. "You, Robin, and Chrom make up the dense trifecta."

"How am I dense?" Robin inquired, feeling offended. "I'm the tactician. If I didn't know what was going on all around us, we'd all be screwed."

"And I must be attentive at all times as well to serve this army." Frederick argued.

"Yeah, but when it comes to women, you two are completely clueless." stated Vaike. "It took Lissa flirtin' with Robin for you to actually make a move."

"Lissa flirted with Robin?" Frederick looked like he had no idea.

"Yeah, remember? You got so jealous, you took it out on us by introducin' that newfangled sadistic trainin' regimen."

"You mean 'Frederick's Special Fanatical Fitness Double Hour Extravaganza'? I came up with that during our spar. You were very sloppy that day. I figured everyone else has probably gotten that way during the time of peace, and I felt it was the perfect way to get everyone back in shape."

Everybody gave the knight a blank look. Did he really not notice any of the obvious hints Lissa gave him? It's a miracle he even got engaged in the first place.

"Come to think of it, since we're now at war again, maybe it would be a good idea to reintroduce—"

"**NOOO!**" nearly all of the Shepherds screamed.

"Ooh, I would love to train with you Father!" Owain smiled while swaying back and forth. "Maybe I could even learn some new bread and butter combos!"

Frederick appreciated that his son was willing to spend time with him, though he wondered what bread and butter had to with anything. "But back to the matter at hand, Robin what is it that you like about milord's daughter?"

Robin hated that the spotlight was back on him, though answered nonetheless. "What isn't there to like about her? She's cute. She's beautiful. She's kind and caring. She's strong. She's been through so much, but she has never let that break her. Every time I see her, I can't help but smile. And whenever she smiles at me, I feel like a better person. She's just…amazing in every way." Robin smiled warmly at his mug. Even talking about the princess just makes him feel better.

Vaike pointed at his open mouth and made gagging sounds, causing some of the more immature men to laugh.

"This is what I get for pouring my feelings out to you guys." Robin sighed.

"Ignore them Robin." Frederick proposed. "You should go and tell Lucina your feelings."

"Seriously?" the tactician did not think Frederick would approve of such a relationship.

"I know what it likes to be pining for a noble's heart. What it's like to be of a lower social status. But now I've realized it was foolish to believe that such a thing was necessary. Lissa and I love each other for who we are, and that's what matters. I have a feeling that Lucina is the same."

"Wow. Thanks for the vote of confidence." Robin sincerely showed his gratitude. "But it's not my social status I'm worried about."

"It's because of the Bro Code, isn't it?" Vaike guessed. "Don't want to betray Chrom's trust, am I right?"

"Uuuh…I'll admit, that's a part of it." There's no denying that invoking Chrom's wrath would most likely be painful.

"Nyahaha! I would think so." chirped Henry. "He would probably castrate you if he found out you liked his daughter. Maybe even eat it in front of you."

"He…he wouldn't go that far. …Would he?"

"I dunno." Donnel wondered out loud. "Our Exalt sure does love sausage."

Pushing that frightening thought FAR out of his head, Robin shuddered and continued speaking. "Well, that's not my _main_ problem either. It's just…I don't know if she feels the same way."

"You know in every romance story ever, the characters who say that always end up realizing their love interests always felt that way, right?" Gaius pointed out.

"But this time it's different. She knew me back in the future when she was just a little girl. I still had to be twenty years older than her by then. What if she thinks of me as some creep for hitting on someone who used to be a child to her? Even if we were friends, at best she probably just sees me as 'Uncle Robin' or something."

Everybody mused over this. That actually was a legitimate concern. The question is, how can they get around it?

"Gregor say still go for it." you know who suggested. "Lucina is head, shoulders, knees, and toes for Robin."

"_Translation: Bitch is head over heels for you! She want that D!_"

"Gregor also really drunk." Robin imitated, dismissing the idea immediately. "Besides, even if that were true, how would I even be able to find out?"

"Have you tried fuzzy guarding?" Owain questioned. At this point, everyone was just ignoring the kid's drunk talk.

"Forget it. I should just give up and look for someone else." Robin didn't enjoy saying that, but it was best to acknowledge that it would most likely be a pipe dream.

"So does that mean I can have her?" asked Basilio.

"Wait, what!?" Robin cried out. The other men looked to the Khan in bewilderment. "Y-you like Lucina!?"

"It's like you said, she's something special. Strong, good-looking, just like yours truly. If I'd known she was a woman when she beat my champion, I would've proposed to her on the spot! Ba ha ha!

Lon'qu gave a glare towards Basilio while Robin just cringed. He did just say he would give up on trying to get with Lucina, but the thought of her with the bald man just rubbed him the wrong way for some reason.

"I…always thought you would be more interested in someone like Flavia." he said.

Basilio gained a look of disgust. "Tch, I wouldn't be caught dead with her hanging on my arm. I like my women young, and not annoying, and not constantly insulting the great Basilio DeGroot."

Robin raised an eyebrow. "DeGroot?" What is it with all these weird surnames he's been hearing lately?

"Aye! A great name for an equally great warrior! All across Ferox, you could hear the people chant it from east to west. 'DeGroot! DeGroot! DeGroot!' And yet that woman has the gall to mock it. Well she can flap her gums all she wants, because when you're a proud wearer of the name DeGroot—"

"We get it. You are Groot."

"That's DeGroot!"

"Whatever." Robin took another nonchalant sip of his ale.

Basilio scowled at the strategist before his face immediately lightened up. "Though I do have to give Flavia this; I did become Khan because of her."

"Oh gods, no." Lon'qu grimaced.

"What's the matter?" asked Stahl.

"Whenever Basilio is drunk enough, he always tell this story." Lon'qu eyed the five empty mugs next to his country's leader.

"Is it that bad?"

"Of course it isn't." Basilio declared with a grin. "Because I don't tell the story. I sing it!"

"That's why." The myrmidon facepalmed.

"That sounds _way_ better!" exclaimed Henry. "Sing away!"

"Don't encourage him!"

But it was too late. Basilio opened his mouth and showed off his pipes.

_Now this is a story of how a man of my name  
__Got a whole country under his reign  
__So I'd like to take a minute and give you the talk  
__About how I became the West Khan of Regna Ferox_

"Gods, make it stop." muttered Lon'qu.

_In West Regna Ferox, born and raised  
__In the arena is where I spent most of my days  
__Fighting and-a beating punks to the ground  
__Not a worthy opponent all around  
__When this one loudmouth woman challenged me to a duel  
__Thought she could defeat me and look so damn cool  
__I beat her arse so good, the leader was shocked and said  
_'_I'm grooming you to be the next Khan of Ferox'_

"Okay! That's enough!" Lon'qu shouted, getting Basilio to comply.

"Aww…" whined Henry and the other patrons where enjoying the tune. "I wanted to hear what happened next."

"All in due time boy. For now, I think I've graced you enough with my pipes." Basilio beamed. "Now what were we talking about again?"

"You were asking me if I would be okay with you dating Lucina." Robin somberly reminded. "I'm not her father, so I don't have any say in this. All that really matters anyways is that she's happy. And if she's happy with you…well…who am I to criticize?"

"Relax Robin. I'm not gonna take your woman away." Basilio assured.

"What— really!?" Robin was so shocked, he didn't even bother correcting him about Lucina being "his woman".

"Yeah. I just wanted to see your face when I was messing with you." the warrior chuckled.

Robin did not appreciate that whatsoever. But he could forgive the man as he chalked up this behavior to all of the alcohol.

"Besides," Basilio continued. "That Lucina lass may not be half bad, but you seem more her type. And I can't break up such a cute couple."

"Wow, I…never knew you cared about such a thing." Robin awed.

"He doesn't." Lon'qu informed. "That's how much he supports you two."

"That's how much we all support your romantic escapade." added Virion.

Now this was a pleasant surprise. The whitehead may not be certain Lucina would ever return her feelings, but at least his friends did. He still wasn't ready to go out and confess his love to her or anything though. In fact, he couldn't even say for sure if he truly loved her. After all, he did say it was just a crush. But whether it will eventually pass or bloom into something more, it's great to know that there will always be at least someone to support him.

Just then, the tavern's door slammed open and in came the very same blue-haired princess the guys were discussing about. She was doubled over panting with her hands on her knees.

"Sorry I'm late!" Lucina gasped. "I was training with Father and hadn't realized how—" She stopped talking once she lifted her head and saw the many eyes of men staring at her.

"Huh?" she looked around the room until her gaze landed on the male Shepherds. The moment she did so, Lon'qu immediately jumped out of his chair and hid behind it.

"Smooth Spike." Gaius snarked. "Real smooth."

"Eh heh heh. Hey Lucina." Robin greeted politely and nervously.

"Robin?" Lucina said confused, deciding to walk over to the group. "What are you all doing here? I thought men weren't allowed at the bachelorette party."

"Um, this is the _bachelor_ party Lucina." Robin informed her. "As in the one for guys."

"O-oh!" Lucina flushed a little. "M-my mistake. I forgot that Aunt Lissa said they would be at the nicest tavern in town. I should have known that meant there was more than one."

"Hey what do you mean by that!?" the bartender called out offended. "You saying my tavern ain't the nicest!?"

"Bruno, come on. Let's get real." a patron spoke to the bartender. "That other place actually cleans out their spittoon."

"Damn it, you're right. I can't compete with that."

"Well I'm sorry for intruding." the swordswoman apologized to the army. "I'll just be going now." She turned around in an attempt to leave before a strong arm wrapped around her.

"Aw don't worry about it!" waved off Vaike. "You ain't botherin' us! C'mon and join us for a while, would ya!?" He was giving off a smile that seemed a little _too_ wide.

Lucina started to feel uncomfortable. "I'm not so sure. I'd rather not be rude and keep Aunt Lissa from waiting."

"Your aunt's an understanding woman. She won't mind if you're a few minutes late." Gaius told her with the same wide smile as Vaike. In fact, all of the more playful Shepherds wore that smile.

The only other one with a noticeable expression was Robin, whose wide eyes had a pleading look in them saying "Please don't tell her anything!".

Vaike dragged her over to the table. Specifically to right next to where Robin was sitting. The strategist composed himself and tried to shut down the scenario his friends were trying to make before it could even start.

"Sorry about all of this Lucina. You don't have to stay if you don't want to. If you don't know where the other tavern is, I can help give you directions. You just need to take a right…" He stopped talking once he noticed she wasn't really listening and looking downwards. "Is there a problem?"

"You…drink?" she questioned.

Robin followed her gaze and noticed that she was staring at her mug. "Yyyeah, socially. Why?"

"I wouldn't think a respectable man such as yourself would taint himself with alcohol." Lucina frowned.

Robin couldn't help but chuckle. Of course that was the problem. How like Lucina to be concerned of her friends' moral standings, even if it was something as trivial as the occasional drink. "Hey, no one's perfect."

"Yeah, you're tellin' us you've never had a drink in your life?" Vaike inquired.

"Never." Lucina answered adamantly.

"Right. Little Miss goody two-shoes over here".

"Leave her alone Vaike." Robin calmly defended the future Exalt. "It just means Chrom raised her right."

Lucina smiled that he would vouch for her, and Robin felt a warmth spread throughout him just like every other times those lips turned upwards for him.

"I'm just sayin', she could learn to have a little fun once in a while." the fighter remarked.

The moment he said that, something changed in Lucina's demeanor. Almost as if she had snapped. "I can be fun!" she barked at Vaike.

The blonde smirked at this declaration and looked her dead in the eye. "Is that so? Then you wouldn't mind sharin' a drink with us?"

Lucina's resolve deterred a bit at that. "Well…"

"C'mon!" Vaike goaded. "I don't care what science says, one drink wouldn't kill ya." He slid his mug on the table over to her.

"Yeah Luce, be a rebel!" Henry tried to encourage her.

"I don't feel like we should be harassing milord's daughter like this." voiced Frederick.

"Agreed." Libra affirmed.

"Oh shut up you pansies." Basilio dismissed the two. "Look Lass, all you have to do is down it one go and it'll be over before you know it."

Lucina picked up the mug and stared into it as if she was actually considering about drinking it.

"Lucina, you don't have to prove anything." Robin tried to convince her otherwise, as he knew she wouldn't do this under any other circumstance. "You don't have to give into peer pressure."

"No, it's fine Robin." she assured while shaking her head. "I can do this."

Robin felt like he should have said more, but held his tongue and just hoped there wouldn't be any dire consequences for letting this happen. Everyone else in the bar however, began chanting.

"CHUG! CHUG! CHUG! CHUG! CHUG! CHUG! CHUG!"

Lucina gulped before she slowly brought the rim of the glass to the edge of her mouth and took a small sip. The moment the mead made contact with her taste buds, her eyes shot wide open.

"OH NAGA THAT IS VILE!" She moved the mug far away from her. "How can you enjoy this!?"

Robin should have been relieved, and he was, but he found himself laughing again. "Well, people usually don't enjoy it for the taste."

Still with a disgusted look on her face, Lucina put the mug down on the table. "Forget it. Being considered fun isn't worth drinking that."

Everybody around her moaned in disappointment.

"Really hopin' that would work." muttered Vaike.

"What a wasted opportunity." Gaius lamented.

"I wanted to see her drunk personality." mentioned Henry.

Feeling that she had spent enough time here, Lucina decided it was best to finally leave. "I think I better go now. Aunt Lissa must be wondering where I am by now." She then made her way towards the exit.

"Do you even know where the other tavern is, Blue Jr.?" questioned Gaius.

"I…" Lucina paused in her response. "…no." For all she knew, there could be even more taverns than just the two.

"It's okay, I'm sober enough to take you there." Robin offered, standing up out of his chair. He mainly just wanted to get away from these people for a while.

"Oh, thank you Robin. I appreciate it." Lucina smiled at him as he walked towards her and they both began to leave together.

"Make sure you bring her back by curfew!" Gaius joked.

The male Shepherds laughed some more at that, while the couple that wasn't chose to ignore it and left the building.

Once he was sure the two of them were gone, Libra asked the group of drunks a serious question. "I know he doesn't want us to say anything, but don't you think we should tell Lucina about Robin's feelings so they can get together and end this drama?"

"Nah, it's way more hilarious to watch him struggle." declined Gaius. "When it stops being funny and we have nothing better to do, then we tell her."

"I believe that is a poor decision."

"We're drunk. We have every right to make poor decisions." declared Basilio.

Just then, the tavern door opened again, and in came the _other_ blue-haired royal member of the Shepherds.

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late." said Chrom. "What did I miss?"

The men all remained quiet. They all looked at each other, silently agreeing not to tell the Exalt about what they learned about his daughter and best friend. All except for Owain, who was still very drunk and blurted out a greeting.

"Uncle Chrom! You just missed it! We were helping Robin not get blown up on stream!" Owain then faceplanted right into the table.

Everyone stared blankly at the unconscious myrmidon. Even passed out, he still somehow manages to leave everyone speechless.

"I don't know what he just said, but I have a feeling that's the most sense he'll ever make." Chrom stated. "Ever."

* * *

Robin and Lucina continued to walk over to the other tavern. The trip was silent as both of them were too preoccupied with their thoughts about the person next to them to say anything. Fortunately, the place wasn't far away and they made it there soon enough.

"Well, here we are." Robin stated as both of them stood in front of the bar.

"Thank you." Lucina softly responded.

None of them made a move though. Lucina didn't enter the building, and Robin didn't go back to rejoin his friends. Instead they just awkwardly stood there looking away from each other, the girl rubbing her arm and the young man scratching the back of his head.

After a few seconds, Lucina decided to speak about what was on her mind. "Robin…"

*_BREAK!_*

Something from inside the tavern crashed through its large window and landed in front of the two, startling them. They realized it was Cordelia's unconscious body, and wondered what could have caused this to happen.

They heard cheering and wooing coming from inside the bar and stared wide-eyed through the broken window to see what was going on. What they saw inside was absolute chaos. There was a keg stand competition between Nowi and Maribelle of all people, Sully and Cherche clinked liquor bottles and drank, while next to them the former's horse and Minerva did the same, and Flavia and Olivia seemed to be chicken wrestling with Panne and Anna with bottles on all of their fingers. All this and more was going on at this bachelorette party. Definitely not what Lucina envisioned.

"WHOOO!" Cordelia suddenly sprang up from unconsciousness, scaring Robin and Lucina once again. "Best party ever!" At this point, it's obvious she's drunk. Not as bad as during Chrom and Sumia's wedding, but she was still pretty hammered.

The redhead then noticed Robin was nearby and a very coy smile found its way to her face. "Oh look girls, we've finally got ourselves a male stripper!"

"Wait, what?" Robin gasped. He was then pulled closer to her by the lapels of his coat. "Whoa!"

"You must be so hot in this coat." Cordelia said seductively. "Why don't you let me help you take it off."

"I…I…uh…" Robin stuttered while blushing hard. He was trying to get out of Cordelia's grip without touching her, when suddenly he felt something grab his arm. He looked at it and saw a _very_ displeased Lucina holding it.

"We're leaving." She hissed, voice filled with venom. She pulled Robin away from the pegasus knight and left the area with him, arm still in her hand.

"Aw, c'mon Lucina." Cordelia called out to her. "Can't you share?"

"Was that Robin?" a tipsy Tharja asked from the broken window.

"Yeah, but he's a gone now."

"But I just started a fire for him." Tharja complained. And indeed there was a fire behind her. More specifically, on a flipped over table, there was a flaming outline of a heart with the letters "R+T" inside it (also on fire of course).

"Tharja, you started a fire!?" Lissa exclaimed, sounding concerned before grinning stupidly. "Now it's a real party!"

"WHOOOOOOOOOOO!" all the girls cheered.

* * *

The swordswoman and the tactician were now heading back towards camp. This time though, Lucina didn't want it to be as awkward as the last walk, plus she wanted to a chat with him anyways, so she decided to break the silence.

"I'm sorry." she began.

Robin gave her a confused look. "What are you sorry for?"

"For dragging you away back there." Lucina confessed. "I know you were uncomfortable, but I still shouldn't have treated you like that."

Robin held back a snicker. Sometimes this woman was just too sweet. "Lucina, if I had to stab myself to get out of that situation, I would have. So it's a good thing you acted before I did."

It was mostly a jest, but Lucina still gave him a stern look. "Don't ever say you will ever hurt yourself." she reprimanded him before suddenly looking glum. "Especially not after I've hurt you so badly."

"What are you talking about?"

Lucina took a small breath before speaking. "Over the past few days, you've learned from me a great deal of troubling information. Including how you are most likely my father's murderer and…how your dream of having a family never comes to fruition."

Now it was Robin's turn to sigh. "I'll admit, I've had better weeks. But I'll get over it hopefully. Besides, it's not your fault I know all of that. I was the one who figured out I might kill your father. I was the one who asked you if I had a child in the future."

"True, but I was the one—"

"What were you supposed to do?" Robin interrupted. "Lie to me? I just would have been more disappointed when I found out the truth later on. Better to get the pain over with now."

"I suppose that is true." Lucina mused. "I just feel so guilty for causing you so much pain."

"Is that so? Well now I feel guilty for making you feel guilty."

"Huh?"

"I may not be in the best of moods now, but the last thing I ever want to do is to hurt my friends. So maybe it should be me who should apologize."

Lucina probably should have been touched to hear that, but ended up frowning instead. "Must you always put the needs of others before your own?"

"Hey, it's part of my job." Robin smiled. "And it's just who I am. Is there a problem with that?"

The bluenette sighed and looked away. "It's just…you always do so much for everyone. Even in the future, Father and Mother always praised you on your selflessness, and it showed. It's noble of you, but you always seem to neglect your happiness as a result."

"I could say the same thing about you." Robin pointed out. "You're from a future where nearly everyone died, including me and the others. You have seen things no one should ever have to witness, and yet here you are trying to comfort me. I may not ever get a family, but that problem seems almost petty compared to the end of the world."

"Perhaps." Lucina admitted. "But you still deserve something for all you've done for us."

"But I already have." The strategist proclaimed. "I have plenty of friends who want me around. There's Chrom, Sumia, Lissa, Frederick, the rest of the Shepherds, and you. Even if I don't get a real family, I still have the one I already got, and they make my life worth living. So thanks for that."

Now Lucina felt touched, and her blush showed it. "You're quite welcome Robin. Though there may be a way for you to have a real family after all."

Robin accidentally let out a gasp, showing off his shock more than he meant to. "But I thought you said—"

"We are not bound by destiny Robin. Me being here is proof of that. I came back to the past to change the future. And no good future could come from you being alone. So that's why I want to help you find the partner you never had."

At least ninety percent of Robin was elated to hear that, while the other ten percent was a little saddened as he interpreted it as meaning she wouldn't be that partner. Still, like the guys who offered to do the same, it did raise his spirits.

"Thank you Lucina." He looked ahead of them and noticed that they finally reached the camp. "Well, we're here. Good thing too, because I am beat."

"You're not going to go back to the bachelor party?" Lucina questioned. She thought he was just being nice and walking her home so to speak.

"Nah, I've had enough fun for one night." Robin gave a smirk. "Besides, it probably wouldn't be a good idea for the army's tactician to get a hangover."

"Are you sure you'll be okay?"

Robin looked closely at the girl's face. He saw the concern in her eyes, but more than that, he saw an immense amount of joy as well. He wasn't too sure where it came from, but he had a feeling he was responsible for it. And best of all, he felt good about it. Just talking with her made him no longer feel depressed about his problem. She really was something special. No wonder he grew a crush on her.

"I know I will." he softly smiled. "Good night Lucina."

"Good night Robin." returned Lucina.

They both turned away from each other and walked to their respective tents. Happy with how their time spent together went.

* * *

**I think we all know how Owain's encounter with one of those fire-breathing scorpions would go down...**

* * *

Owain and a black and yellow ninja walk towards each other in the middle of a winter forest.

**Owain**: My sword hand senses your hostility.

**Scorpion**: You have provoked my rage!

**Owain**: Get over here, fiend!

* * *

**What can I say? I've been in a _Mortal Kombat X_ mood.**

**Moral of the story: Never drink alcohol kids. Not because it damages your mind and body or anything like that. But because, like Lucina said, it tastes GOD awful. Instead, do what I do and just slowly kill yourself by guzzling down insane amounts of soda.**

**10 points for anyone who can figure out the inspiration to Basilio's last name.  
100 points for anyone who draws a fanart scene of that bachelorette party. *laughs***

**Next time, we's getting another kid! Who is it you ask? Well that would ruin the surprise. So instead, please send in your votes for whatever 1st Gen pairings you want and hope he/she gets the father you want him/her to have.**

**P.S. WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU NOT PLAYING _SPLATOON_ RIGHT NOW!?**


	6. Flowers By Inigo

**Chapter 6 – Flowers By Inigo**

* * *

**Chrom:** Hey Lucina, could you come over here?

*_Platinum the Trinity walks over to Chrom_*

**Platinum: **Why, so you can have your way with Lucina you dumbass pedo!?

**Chrom:** What, no. I just need some help with—

**Platinum:** God, it's bad enough you want to pork little girls, but your own daughter!? Are you proud of yourself you sick creep!?

**Chrom:** *_sigh_* Lucina, eat a Snickers. *_hands Snickers to Platinum_*

**Platinum:** Why?

**Chrom:** You get a little bratty when you're hungry.

**Platinum:** *_takes angry bite out of Snickers_*

**Chrom:** Better?

**Lucina:** Better. Oh Father, do you mind if I share this with Robin? He seems to be hungry as well. *_looks to a tall humanoid in white, full body armor_*

**Hakumen:** I am the White Void. I am the Cold Steel.

**Tharja:** Robin! *_tackles Hakumen_*

**Hakumen:** Unhand me sorceress!

**Lucina:** You heard Robin! Get off of him you harlot! *_runs after the two_*

*_Ragna the Bloodedge walks up next to Chrom_*

**Ragna:** Hey, you have any Snickers left?

**Chrom:** Sorry Basillio. I just gave the last one to Lucina.

**Ragna:** Damn. Me and that kid mage, Ricken, really could've used that to get back to normal.

*_Amane Nishiki walks up to Ragna_*

**Amane:** Speak for yourself honey. Look at me. Not only have I finally gotten taller, I'm also fabulous!

**Chrom:** Is there anyone else who's hungry?

**Amane:** Well Cordelia might be, but frankly, it's quite hard to tell.

*_all three look at Tsubaki Yayoi some distance away from them_*

**Tsubaki: **My right hand carries the sword of judgment. My left, the scales of justice. Let all those who commit the darkest sins face the heavens' divine wrath— oh my, is that him!? Is he looking at me!? Oh no, did he see everything!? He must think I'm some sort of dork now! Calm down, maybe I can still salvage this.

**Chrom:** Seems normal to me.

**Ragna:** Yeah.

**Amane:** You're right. I don't know what I was thinking.

**You're not you when you're hungry. Snickers satisfies.**

* * *

**I'm sorry for that. I really am. I know I should've posted this skit in _Sanity Check_, but I had this idea even before that was conceptualized, so I kept it here. I could've gone farther, but I chose not to. For your sake. Hopefully you people might still get a kick out of it anyways.**

**More importantly, can you believe how fast I got this chapter out? That was like light speed. Never before has a person updated faster. *nervous laughter which gradually dies down* Okay okay, I get it, I dragged my ass on this one. But it hasn't been that long has it? It's only been *does calculations* NINE MONTHS!? Jesus hot sauce Christmas cake. This is fucking unbelievable! Even _Gravity Falls_ never went on hiatus for this long! Well at least I got this out before Guts got off that boat. *does a fact check* FUCK!**

**Okay before you all tear me a new one, let me explain myself. I know I promised I would hopefully start updating faster for a period of time if I got my shit together. Obviously, I didn't get my shit together, but there were a lot of complications going through my life. The main of which was that I was forced into a summer job (yes, forced. And _not_ because I needed money) that drained me of my free time. And my energy. And my brain cells. And my will to live (let's just say, a summer job working for the mafia isn't at all it's cracked up to be). So while I was going through my mental breakdown during that dark period while trying to appear hunky-dory on the outside, I happened to land a co-op afterwards (at Skynet no less). And finally, two days after I come home from winter break, my dog dies (life's one last "fuck you" to me before the end of the year). But even still, THAT IS _NOT_ AN EXCUSE!**

**You people are the reason why this story even got this far, and you deserve better. Just because I have problems, doesn't mean you all have to suffer drastically and be deprived your entertainment. Over one year ago (because I missed the anniversary/my birthday/Korrasami day. Fuck me.) this started out as an experimental oneshot. But thanks to your interest and praises, it became a pseudo-abridged series (updates about as frequently as one) with emphasis on fight scenes and shipping (not a bad combination actually). ****And now its back! Because unlike _Darkstalkers_, _Precocious Love_ is not dead!**

**But still, nine months, huh? Think of all the events I missed out talking to you guys about. _E3_, _EVO_, _Indivisible_ getting backed, the _Kombat Pack 2_, the _One Punch Man_ anime, _RWBY Volume 3_ (the darker setting is the best thing to have happened and should've been like that from the beginning. Fight me!), the final _Smash_ direct. Actually the DLC came out this month, huh? I guess that's still relevant. We can talk about that. *ahem* BAYONETTA! YEEEEES! OH FUCK YES! End of discussion *laughs*.**

**And now that I think about it, I'm not sure who would still be reading this after such a long wait. After all, this story did win the "Fanfiction Razzie" award for "Most Painful Hiatus". Well to any and all loyal readers who are still sticking by my side, thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule of game-binging _Fates_ and ogling the best girl and her "assets" (I'm obviously talking about Arthur and his magnificent chin and justice) to check out my whacked out sense of entertainment and dated references (remember, this chapter's been in the works for a looooong time). Probably perfect timing too since this may be one of the last _Awakening_ fics before the influx _Fates_ stories in order to "fix" its plot *cue me being a hypocrite and hopping on that train a couple of months later*. Nah what the hell am I saying? _Awakening_'s got _Ocarina of Time_/_Final Fantasy VII_ status. Its stream of fanfics isn't going anywhere.**

**And hey, before we get to the good stuff (ah, remember how painful these Author's notes were? Good times.), I just wanna remind everyone that it hasn't been a _completely Precocious Love_ free hiatus. I know I've mentioned this old news before, but shout-out to my (not-so) new pal J053D4N13L35C083D0 creating a _TV Tropes_ page for this fic a few months back. God I could just kiss you regardless of my ambiguous sexuality! Anyways, go check it out and update it however you can, and appreciate the dude's hard work.**

**Now without further ado, I present to you...the mythical chapter 6!**

**Rating: T for language and violence.**

* * *

"Okay, I can believe if you stabbed Sully's hand." Chrom said, voice laden with annoyance. "I can believe if you somehow stabbed your own hand." His next sentence then took on a sharper tone. "But how in Naga's name did you manage to stab your hand that was holding the knife in the first place!?"

The Exalt was in a tent with his wife and Sully, practically scolding the former about the events at the bachelorette party last night. Sumia just sat there listening while staring sadly at her now-bandaged hand.

"It takes _real_ skill." smirked Sully.

Chrom sighed, figuring that that might as well be the best explanation he can get. "Let's just check on the others and see how they're faring."

It was the morning after both parties, and the Shepherds were in a vulnerable state. Many of their members (especially the women) were hungover from their previous festivities and currently trying to recover from their condition. Fortunately, they weren't in enemy territory, so they could afford the time to heal up before resuming their campaign.

The three friends made their way to the infirmary tent where their "patients" were held. Inside were the many Shepherds groaning, holding their heads, and lying in cots and bedrolls, trying to recuperate from their excessive drinking. Thankfully, there was at least one healer in the form of their fellow war monk who was completely well enough to tend to everyone. He also got Robin and Lucina to assist him.

"How's everyone holding up, Libra?" Chrom asked as he and the girls entered.

"Ah, Your Grace." Libra greeted, always one to use honorifics. "I've been trying to relieve their headaches with my healing staff while Robin and Lucina distribute water. It's not much, but it will ease their pain."

"Speak for yourself." Lissa remarked, lying in a cot nearby before grasping her head. "Naga, it feels like Chrom is breaking everything inside my head." Her brother scowled at that comment.

"You have no one to blame but yourselves for partaking in Grima's water." affirmed Libra.

"Oh don't give me that. It was a party— urgh!" The cleric clutched her head even harder. "Head hurts. Can't talk much."

"I doubt that'll stop you." Chrom teased.

"Oh the moment my head stops pounding, you are going to— urk!" Lissa's hand tightened around her head again. "You are going to— ack! You— augh! Oh forget it." She gave up on her comeback, leaving Chrom to smirk wider in victory.

"Here Aunt Lissa, drink this." Lucina said, handing a canteen of water to her aunt.

Lissa took a big swig of the cool liquid before giving the canteen back, looking a little more at ease. "Thank you Lucina." she smiled. "At least the next generation isn't full of jerkfaces." She stuck her tongue out at her brother, who simply rolled his eyes playfully at her immaturity. "But I gotta ask, how come you two are perfectly fine?"

The question was of course directed to the cavalier and pegasus knight. They drank just as much as anyone else cooped up in the tent, but like their ally noted, they were no worse for wear.

"Strong tolerance." Sully stated her reason cockily. "Not my fault the rest of you are a bunch of lightweight pansies."

Lissa focused her attention to her sister-in-law next, wondering what her reasoning was as she definitely didn't look like the type to handle alcohol that well.

"Having a hole in your hand kind of overrides the pain of a headache." Sumia answered. She lifted up her bandaged hand to emphasize her point.

"Riiiiight." The blonde acknowledged awkwardly.

"Why Lady Sumia, why didn't you say something earlier?" inquired Libra. "I can easily heal your wound for you."

"Oh, thank you Libra." said a grateful Sumia. She held out her hand, which the effeminate man proceeded to mend it with his magic.

"Oh c'mon!" Lissa whined. "You can heal a gaping hole like that, but all you can do for a hangover is make it hurt _slightly_ less!?"

"Just because we've learned to harness magic, does not mean we know how it exactly works." Libra pointed out. "Even after centuries of studying it, magic is still very much a mystery to us."

"Besides, you of all people should know what healing magic can and can't do, O' great cleric." Robin added playfully.

"It's hard to remember that kinda stuff when your head is pounding and your brain is constantly telling you 'kill yourself, kill yourself, end it all now'."

Lucina immediately grew worried after hearing that remark, but before she could react, she looked to everyone else to silently ask if this was all simply a jest.

"Yes Lucina, she's just joking." Sumia answered her daughter's thoughts.

"You needn't worry." Libra assured. "As miserable as having a hangover is, it's certainly not fatal." Lucina visibly calmed down after hearing all of this, glad to know her aunt wasn't in any real danger.

"Well now we know where Owain gets his dramatic behavior from." Chrom teased.

"I don't know~" Robin chimed in. "Have you ever seen Frederick whenever he eats bear meat?"

The group of sober people (minus Lucina) chuckled at all of this while the target of these jokes scowled at them.

"Yeah, laugh at the cute girl's pain and make fun of her family. Real classy guys." Lissa snarked.

"Oh suck it up princess." Sully taunted and flicked the cleric's head.

"OW!" Lissa screamed, her shrill voice putting the other hungover victims in a worse mood.

"Sully, please don't torture the patients." sighed Libra.

"Fine. I'm bored here anyways." Sully conceded. She began to walk out of the infirmary tent. "I'll just go help Stahl make breakfast."

"What did he just say about torturing us!?" Lissa called out to the redhead. Unfortunately for her, Sully was already gone, meaning that she was most likely going to make vomit for the army's morning meal. "Ugh…"

"So," Chrom started to speak. "Are Robin and Lucina enough to help you out?"

"If you are worried that I need more helping hands, than fret not." said Libra. "There are others who graciously offered to assist us."

"Well that's good to hear." the Exalt smiled. "So there's nothing to worry about?"

Robin and Lucina looked uneasily amongst each other. "Well…"

"Nyahaha!" an iconic laugh sounded outside. The tent flap opened to reveal Henry with a staff. "Nurse Henry reporting for surgery!"

"Henry, for the last time, we're not performing surgery on anyone." Libra stated exasperated. "No matter how much you want to, and I quote your offensive orb, 'cut a b-word'."

"Hey, a guy can dream." Henry said simply, his happy demeanor remaining undeterred. "Besides, I wouldn't do that to my friends. Unless it's absolutely necessary of course. …So is it—"

"No."

"Well then I'm just here to try out my skills with a staff."

"Henry, I didn't know you could use healing magic." Sumia mused.

"That's because I can't." Henry clarified. "And why would I? Healing is not as rewarding as hurting."

"So why do you have that staff then?" Robin questioned.

"Oh you're gonna love this!" Despite the dark mage's enthusiastic tone in his statement, it just made everyone around him nervous. "See, I've been tinkering with the dark arts and wanted to see what would happen if I channeled it through a staff. At first it caused an explosion, and it was awesome! I kept doing that and after around the twentieth explosion, I started getting bored. So I decided to do some experimenting, and I found a way to look inside people and see their organs."

"GROSS!" Lissa blanched. "Why would you wanna do that!?"

"You're seriously asking that to the guy who loves blood to death?" Robin pointed out.

"I hope one day that will become literally true." Henry added.

Lissa silently admitted to herself that she just asked a stupid question. "Well then how is looking at my organs going to help me?"

"To make sure your liver's alright from drinking all that booze."

"…Okay, I guess that makes sense." the cleric relented. "Well let's just get this over with then." She laid completely still on her cot, ready for her checkup.

"Alright!" Henry lifted his staff over his blonde patient and began to let his dark magic surge through. If one looked closely at the orb on top, they could see an image forming inside. "I'm just going to take a quick peek and—" He paused himself before speaking again in a meek voice. "…Oh my."

The sudden change in Henry's mood made Lissa start to panic. "What? What is it? Did you find something wrong with my liver?"

Strangely enough, Henry went back to sounding cheerful as he informed her. "Better. I found your brand."

"Wait, what?" Lissa propped herself on her elbows, the news greatly gathering her attention (as well as everyone else's). "You mean my Exalt brand?"

"Yup!" Henry confirmed. "This is just like in one of those cheesy kid's stories. What you wanted most was inside you all along. Nyaha!"

"I'm sorry, I'm still having a hard time comprehending this. Is my brand _really_ on my liver?"

"Of course not. It's on your left kidney. Here take a look."

"EWW! I don't wanna look at my guts!" Lissa pushed the staff away from her. "How did this happen?"

"Is that even possible for a brand to be on your kidney?" Sumia wondered aloud.

"My brand is in my eye." Lucina chimed in. "I suppose it's not too strange for it to appear…there."

"No Lucina, it's strange no matter what way you look at it." affirmed Lissa. "Ugh, no wonder why I could never find it. How was I even supposed to show my brand to prove my birthright?"

"Well you could've just made a flap using a knife—"

"Henry, not now!" Lissa cut Henry off.

"I don't know why you're so worked up over your brand being on your kidney. I think it's pretty cool." The white-haired boy's face lit up as a thought suddenly came to him. "Ooh! Ooh! What if instead your brand was on your butt? That'd be hilarious! You'd have to moon everyone to show you're part of the royal family."

"I don't wanna moon anyone!" Lissa proclaimed.

"You sure about that? You always were pretty cheeky. Nyahaha!"

Lissa glared hard at Henry, who just remained unfazed and had another "idea".

"Oh I get it! You want your brand above your lady parts! So instead of flashing your behind, you could flash your 'befront'!"

"Okay! Forget it!" the princess declared. "I have a brother who is the Exalt, a future son with the brand on his arm, and now I finally have my own. We all know I'm part of the royal family, so we don't need to talk about this anymore. Ever."

"Well that's too bad. It could've been a good conversation starter. Oh, and your liver's fine too by the way." Now finished with the checkup, Henry turned away and walked towards the other hungover Shepherds laying down. "Alright, who wants to look at their insides next?"

Once he left the group and began tending to the next unlucky patient, an unnerved Chrom couldn't help but ask Libra again if everything would be okay. "Are you _sure_ you'll be fine here?"

"Despite Henry's…eccentricities, his new technique is a valuable asset right now. And he does mean well." Libra defended the dark mage.

As if on cue, Henry began treating a certain pink-haired dancer lying in her own cot with her eyes closed. "Hey-o, crazy lady!" All he got was a whimper in response. "Uh-oh. Sounds like someone needs a little pick-me-up. Well don't you worry your pretty little head. I can fix that!" He held out his hand towards Lucina who placed another water canteen in it. "Drink up!"

Henry began to gently pour the cool liquid into Olivia's mouth, making sure he was careful enough so it would go down her throat without her choking.

"Cool, crisp, and refreshing!" Henry joked before ceasing the flow of water. "Feeling better?"

Olivia opened her eyes halfway. "Y-…yes." Olivia managed to breathe out. She moved her head a bit to get a better look at the boy while turning her lips upwards. "Th-thank you Henry."

"No problem." Henry returned the smile in full. "Now let's take a looksee inside!"

Olivia's better mood was instantly replaced with apprehension. "Uh…is this going to hurt?"

"Hmm…" Henry pondered. "That's a good question." He turned his head to face back at Lissa. "Hey Lissa. Did it hurt when I scanned your organs?"

"Olivia, if it did hurt, I hadn't noticed." Lissa directed her answer to the pinkette. "At worst, you'll just find something weird inside you like a second pancreas or something."

"Oooooh…how awesome would that be!?" chirped Henry.

"Um…I guess if you don't do any 'blood magic' on me— engh!" Olivia stopped for a brief moment until her headache passed. "It…it should be fine."

"Hey I told you, I wouldn't do anything to hurt you guys." Henry reassured. "I'll take good care of you. Like when we took care of that doggie together." He already began to scan her with his staff.

Olivia couldn't help but giggle a bit. "You really liked that dog, didn't you?"

"Of course! He was a good boy!" The dark mage stopped using his staff. "Just like you're a good girl for being so cooperative while I scanned you. I wish I had a sticker to give you."

Olivia giggled again before her hangover made itself known again.

"See? Nothing to worry about." Libra noted to Chrom with a reassuring smile.

The Shepherd's leader had to concede that all will be fine. "Alright, I'll trust you that everyone is in good hands." He turned to his best friend. "Once you're done here Robin, come see me in the war council tent so we can plan our campaign." With that, he and his wife made their exit.

The priest and his helpers continued to go around the tent doing their best to aid everyone suffering. Water was distributed, pillows were fluffed, and whatever could be done to make everyone more comfortable was ensured.

"Boy, you girls sure know how to party if you're all like this." Henry proclaimed while scanning Cordelia. "You have got to tell us guys your secret."

"If this is the price I have to pay for a good time, I'm glad I left early." Robin remarked giving a canteen to Cherche.

"C'mon Robin. All we did was drink and not burn down anything. We've got nothing to show for it."

"That's not entirely true." Libra interjected, using a staff of his own to try to heal another patient. "Some of the men have made the error to go overboard. In fact, I think we can all agree that Lissa's son is in worse condition than anybody else here."

The four healers turned towards a remote corner to look at Owain. The 'Scion of Legend' was gripping the upper half of his face, teetering on the edge of consciousness.

"Down sword hand." he murmured. "My face is not a blade."

Lucina was at a loss for words. "Uh…"

"He might still be drunk." guessed Robin.

"Yeah that was hilarious." said Henry, now finished with the redhead. "And he was already fun. Just imagine if someone like Cordelia here was that tipsy.

"We…actually have seen her like that." admitted Lucina. Though she now regretted it, as she just ended up remembering the pegasus knight distastefully throwing herself at Robin (an exaggeration maybe, but she'll fight anyone who claims otherwise).

"In fact, Lucina and I have seen all the girls drunk." Robin added.

"Lucky!" Henry squealed. "So what was it like?"

Robin and Lucina had to fight the urge to shudder as the memories of the sheer anarchy they saw last night entered their minds. Robin had to admit that he saw a side of the female Shepherds he would've been better off not knowing. As for Lucina, she almost thought that Grima had risen once again and started to spread his reign of havoc.

"Let's just say that you would've fit in Henry." The tactician answered exasperatedly.

"Aw don't be such a tease Robin. I want details!" Henry begged.

"You know we're right here, right?" Cordelia below him reminded.

"Yeah, but I don't wanna bother you while you're resting. I try to be nice like that."

If Cordelia wasn't enduring a headache, she would've rolled her eyes at that statement. "All you need— ergh…to know…is that whatever happened last night is over. You needn't worry about any of us. Not me. Not Lissa. Not even Tharja. Just help us end our miserable hangovers please."

At the mention of the Shepherds' other dark mage, Robin realized that he hasn't seen her at all anywhere in the tent. Sure there was the possibility that she was just fine after the bachelorette party like Sumia and Sully, but even then, he would've figured he would've caught her "observing" him by now.

"Hey, where is Tharja?" he asked.

Lucina was also curious. After all, it wasn't like Tharja to not see Robin at least once today and she should be concerned for an ally (even if they are sort of rivals now). But more than that, she was once again annoyed that Robin's mind seemed to focus on the sorceress. Yes, she mainly volunteered because she wanted to help her comrades, but getting to spend time with Robin was always a bonus. And while she may be a little driven by envy at the moment, now that he's said her name, it most likely means she'll show up and interrupt their time together.

…

Any minute now.

…

Libra and Henry started looking around the tent probably thinking the same thing as the swordswoman and wondering why Tharja hadn't shown up yet. Perhaps she wouldn't make a sudden appearance after all.

"You called, my love?"

There at the entrance of the tent holding one of its flaps up stood the very woman everyone was wondering about. Though judging by the weary look on her face, the weaker tone in which she spoke, and the fact that she was holding her head similarly to the other patients, she was probably experiencing the aftereffects of the party like the rest of them. However, there was one detail about her that was _definitely_ off.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting Robin." She tried to sound seductive, but ended up coming off as if she was unwell.

"Uh…Tharja." the strategist looked a bit concerned for his friend. "Are you feeling alright?"

Tharja gave a low groan before responding. "I may have overdid it a little last night, but I'll be fine soon enough."

"If you say so." Robin mentally shrugged. "I was just wondering where you've been since I would've normally seen you by now."

The creepy smile Tharja usually wears when she's around her "soulmate" finally found its way to her face. "How sweet of you. But you don't need to worry about me Robin. I'll _always_ be close by."

Despite her condition, she managed to give a sinister-sounding chuckle while Robin matched hers with a nervous one. Sensing that the latter was getting uncomfortable, Lucina decided to come to his rescue by addressing the "elephant in the tent".

"So Tharja, what exactly are you wearing?"

Tharja's usual annoyed expression returned when her chat with Robin was disturbed because the "leech" needed an answer for what she thought was an inane question. "What are you talking about child? This is what I normally—"

She looked down and saw that her usual revealing attire was replaced with a heavy black coat that hid her figure. If someone had never met her before, it would be impossible to tell what she looked like underneath.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO MY CLOTHES!?"

The female dark mage's shriek caused all the other patients to cringe and complain at the loud noise that has caused their headaches to flare up significantly.

"Oh quit whining. It's not like you people are the only ones with problems." Tharja dismissed them before looking back at her new outfit. "But seriously, where did this coat come from?"

"Weird, usually people take off their clothes when they're drunk." Henry noted with his usual grin. "But I guess since you were already in your undies, you had to think outside the box, huh?"

Tharja shot a harsh glare towards the Plegian boy, but it did nothing to wipe that cheeky smile off of his face. Failing to get a reaction, she scoffed and began to unzip herself out of the coat. In one brisk motion, she stretched the opening far apart, showing that her usual attire was underneath all along before letting the coat slide off of her. However, the whole process looked rather sensual, causing Robin and Libra to blush and look away (and fill Lucina with more jealousy).

"Here Priest. Take this." She tossed the coat to Libra, who caught it and looked at it confusedly.

"What would you like me to do with it?" the blonde asked.

"Get rid of it, of course." Tharja answered as if it was obvious. "It doesn't matter how you do so, as long as it's out of my sight. You can give it to charity for all I care. You're always going on about that."

"O-oh, thank you Tharja." Libra showed his gratitude.

Tharja simply shrugged, believing it was no big deal. She was about to say something else before she felt a sharp pain in her skull and clutched at its location. "Ergh!"

"Here Tharja, let's get you to a cot." insisted Robin.

"No need." Tharja denied the request. The hand on her head suddenly emitted a purple glow for a brief period before fading away. "There, I'm fine now."

The three men and Lucina all looked to her, astonished at what just occurred. "Tharja, did you just cure yourself of your hangover?" Robin asked in amazement.

"This isn't the first time I've had too much to drink." she began to explain. "I couldn't tell you how agonizing my first hangover was. Probably the worst three days of my life. After that hell, I decided to develop a hex to make sure I _never_ relive that experience again."

"Are you able to cast this hex on anyone else?" Lucina questioned, figuring that this could provide a convenient solution to their current situation.

"Hexes are meant to curse others." Tharja stated. "It would be pretty pathetic if I couldn't. Watch."

She strode over to Nowi who was lying in a cot grasping her head with both hands, no doubt going through a painful headache.

"Ooooh, it hurts!" the manakete complained.

Tharja placed her palm on Nowi's forehead and once again it glowed purple. Soon the aura disappeared and she took her hand back. Nowi quickly stopped squirming, and immediately sat up once she no longer felt her head pounding.

"I'm all better!" She hopped out of the bed and gave her savior a hug. Tharja didn't expect this and just held her arms away from the girl, feeling very uncomfortable. "Thanks Tharja! You're the best!"

The witch awkwardly petted Nowi's head while looking away. "Don't mention it."

Nowi let go of Tharja (causing the latter to feel a wave of relief) and left the infirmary tent looking healthier and livelier than ever. After seeing that demonstration of her hex, everyone was convinced that Tharja could help end this epidemic.

"That's incredible!" praised Robin. "Can you cure everybody here for us?"

"Must I?" Tharja queried, sounding as if she would rather do anything else.

"Come on Tharja." Robin spoke again in a sterner voice. "These are our friends. We help each other in our time of need. Not only that, the sooner everyone is well again, the sooner we can pack up and march on. And with your hex, we will be done in no time."

Tharja refused to make eye contact, for once finding something else more interesting than Robin. The way she sees it, any friend of Robin's was an enemy of hers. Every single one of them was a potential threat to take him away from her. It was bad enough that he was currently surrounded by them and giving them his attention. So no, she would rather not help any of these people. And even if you take the Robin factor out of account, her ability to care was surprisingly low.

Robin seemed to notice her reluctance and began to look disheartened. "Please Tharja. Do it for me." He requested almost pleadingly.

That seemed to do the trick, as Tharja's demeanor melted a little. It was hard to do anything that might disappoint him. "Tch. Fine." She begrudgingly agreed.

The tactician smiled at her. "Thanks Tharja."

The dark mage smiled back, thinking it may be worth it to help out with such an annoying task after all.

"Well, since you can handle everything here, I'm going to meet up with Chrom to plan our next strategy." Robin turned to look at the bluenette. "Lucina, would you like to come along?"

And just like that, Tharja's newfound good mood vanished the instant that last sentence came up. She glowered at who the offer was directed to, who in turn was shocked at the invitation Robin had just given her.

"M-me?" Lucina questioned. "You want me to help you plan out our next move?"

"Well yeah." Robin answered. "You must have some knowledge of what happened during this war, what with you being from the future and all. Surely you could give us some valuable input."

As much as Lucina wanted to join him, she felt she should tell him the truth about that fact. "I'm sorry Robin, but I actually don't know too many details about the Valm war. I don't know how much use I would be."

Robin gave her a comforting look. "No worries. Every little bit helps. Besides, I'm sure you could give some good advice. You were a leader back in the future. You might even learn something yourself. So how about it?"

Lucina smiled and tried to push down a blush. Even after she admitted she might not be all that helpful, he was still willing to have her tag along. This was too good of an opportunity to pass up. "Well if you insist."

The two of them made their way out of the tent. Though once they passed Tharja, Lucina did not miss the death glare the hex expert gave her, clearly seething with jealousy. Lucina knew that it was petty of her, but she couldn't help, but feel proud that she won another "battle". And while she made no show of it on the outside, she smirked in victory in her mind.

* * *

The flap to the war council tent was pushed open so Robin and Lucina could walk in. Already inside was Chrom, Frederick, and the Khans, all huddled around a map on a table.

"Back so soon?" the Exalt questioned his best friend.

"Turns out Tharja knows a hex that cures hangovers." Robin explained. "Best to keep that in mind the next time we decide to go wild at a tavern."

"That just means we can do so more often and with less consequences!" Basilio joked with Flavia chuckling in agreement. Considering the amount of ale those two consumed last night, there's no doubt that like Sully, they could hold their alcohol astoundingly.

Chrom looked to his daughter, noticing that her being here was a first. "Oh Lucina, You've come to join us?"

"I brought her along because I figured she might know some details about this war that could help us." Robin answered for her.

"Yeah, that's the reason." Flavia smirked, believing that the whitehead had an ulterior motive for bringing Lucina.

"Is that true lass?" questioned Basilio.

"I'm afraid not." Lucina admitted regrettably, repeating what she told Robin. "I was still very young when it took place and I was all the way back in Ylisse living at the castle. Even after I grew up, all I learned were bits and pieces from more significant events. I'm sorry I don't have more information to offer."

"No one blames you milady. We can't expect you to know everything." Frederick reassured her. "After a war has ended, the only results most people care for are the victor and the casualties. There wouldn't be much need for battle strategies in everyday life."

"It's not just that." Lucina continued. "When Walhart was vanquished in my time, soon after came Grima's resurrection. We had to devote all our focus to fighting the fell dragon. The Valm War was barely an afterthought."

"That would be the bigger concern." acknowledged Chrom.

"Couldn't you have at least opened up a history book or something?" Flavia inquired.

The East-Khan didn't really mean any harm with that statement, but it still stung Lucina a bit. "I wish I could be of more use. I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize." the Exalt tried to comfort her by putting a hand on her shoulder. "You've warned us about plenty of events already, and I have no doubt you'll tell us more when the right moment comes. And your skills in battle alone have been a huge help. I can't imagine us doing this well if it wasn't for you. You're just as much of an asset as any other Shepard."

His attempt worked, as shown by the relieved smile on her face. She has been having some thoughts of inferiority lately due to the self-perceived blunders she's made outside the battlefield. It was most likely that she's just overreacting, but it always eased her fears whenever she got a reminder that she wasn't a burden. "Thank you Father."

"You're welcome." Chrom smiled back. "And don't worry. If we could win the war once already like you said we did, we can easily do so again."

Lucina's expression went back to being serious and she shook her head. "I'm not so sure about that. My traveling to this time could have meddled with events in ways I had not intended. I wouldn't wager everything just because I said that's how it happened."

"Neither would I." concurred Robin. He made his way over to the table. "And don't worry that you couldn't tell us anything. I don't think we'll need you to this time." He looked down at the map. "Is this a map of Valm?"

"It is." confirmed Chrom. "We sent some troops from our army to go scout ahead and find any enemy outposts we might come across. Thanks to their Intel and word from around town, we've managed to deduce where the Valmese are stationed and marked them here."

"Hmm…" Robin was staring intently at the map, looking over every detail from their current location to the terrain of the land to where the enemy base camps were.

"You have a plan already, don't you?" Flavia realized with a smirk.

"I do. This is where we are." Robin pointed to a marker on the map. "And on our current path, there are two enemy outposts relatively close to each other." He moved his finger towards two X's that indicate enemy bases.

"They only seem close on the map." informed Frederick. "But this is a very mountainous region."

Chrom pointed to the X that was slightly closer to them. "This outpost here is nearby a mountain village close to the top."

It's as they said. On the map, it showed that there was a trail between two mountains that led straight to an enemy base. Meanwhile, there was another base on the eastern mountain.

"And I assume you were planning on ignoring it in favor of continuing our march on lower ground." inquired Robin.

"Correct." Frederick confirmed. "Due to the terrain, we'll inevitably have to engage in battle at one of these outposts. Going for the one in the mountains would stray from our path too much."

"It does seem rather out of the way." Lucina pointed out, now looking at the map herself.

"So we thought it best to go through the safe path and face against the Valmese there." finished Frederick.

The tactician shook his head. "Don't do that." he advised. "Instead, we should climb up the mountain and go for the outpost there."

Everyone around him looked at him in confusion. This wasn't an uncommon occurrence, as Robin has made calls before that seem irrational at first glance. But they all knew better than to question his plans, as they've always worked out. Still, that doesn't mean that they wouldn't like some clarification as to why he wants them to follow these particular strategies.

In this case, Chrom was the one to ask for it. "It's not that I don't trust your judgment Robin. But can you at least tell us why?"

"Don't tell me you want it for the view." Basilio joked.

"That's exactly why we want it." affirmed Robin.

"Wha—?"

And now comes the part where Robin lays all his plans to bear and reveals its hidden layer of genius.

"Think about it. Doesn't it seem weird that despite the altitude gap, these two outposts are very near each other? It's obvious that the one in the mountains is a lookout point."

"A lookout point?" Lucina repeated.

"At a high vantage point like that, they could oversee their allies and anything that comes across below them."

"Including a band of liberators." Flavia realized, referring to themselves.

"They could set up an ambush for us if they see us getting too close for comfort." Basilio added.

"If they haven't already." Robin resumed. "Considering how tall this mountain could be, who knows how far the soldiers there can see? They might have already spotted us coming from town."

"So we should proceed with caution." stated Frederick.

"Even if we manage to survive an ambush and get past the lower base, they could come down and start attacking us while we're tired after battle." Chrom added some knowledge, finally getting the bigger picture.

"And that's not before they send a messenger to inform every other outpost where we are and that we're coming." Robin kept on talking. "This post gives a major advantage for the Valmese. Which is why I propose we capture it and make that advantage ours. We can station some troops there and have them lookout for any threat that comes our way. With that, our chances of being blindsided in the future are next to none."

Lucina was trying to contain her giddiness at what she was seeing. Back when she was still a child in her timeline, little Lucina would always hear about Robin's masterful strategies that would lead the Shepherds to victory. She loved hearing about his and her father's endeavors, even though Robin always tried to downplay his accomplishments. Now here she was viewing it firsthand.

Everyone else looked similarly impressed at Robin's plan, and more importantly, confident that this was the right move to make.

"So we have our plan." Chrom noted with satisfaction. "Good work Robin. We can begin marching after breakfast. Everyone dismissed."

* * *

Breakfast was enjoyable enough. The food was edible despite Sully's interference (thanks to Stahl), Lucina got to eat and chat with her parents and Robin, and throughout the whole meal she felt only _one_ chilling glare from Tharja. All in all, a normal moment.

Now that breakfast was over, Robin and Lucina were walking side by side on their way to take their position in their march on the front lines. The latter was so far enjoying all the time she was spending with the charming man today. From being Libra's assistants to witnessing him planning out their next move and more, she was certainly getting her fill. Sure it all probably didn't mean much in retrospect as Robin is just a nice person who most likely just wanted to hang out with his good friend, but she'll take what she can get.

They reached their destination soon enough and found Anna by her caravan, wrapping chains around a heavy chest for some reason.

"Hey you two!" the redhead called out. "Here to buy something? I was just packing up to get ready for our big march, but I always have time for valued customers!"

"Hello Anna." Robin returned the greeting. "No, we're just here to get ready ourselves. But you must be feeling much better now if you're trying to sell us something this early."

"Please, before I was working for you guys, I was a walking 24-hour shop." Anna bragged in good humor. "Though I must say, I do feel refreshed thanks to Tharja's hex. Come to think of it…" Her eyes gained a mischievous glint. "We pass by a lot of towns filled with drunks. I bet they would pay through the nose for that kind of treatment. You think Tharja will be interested in starting a business venture with me?"

"I doubt it." remarked Lucina. "Tharja isn't the type to help or work with others." She wasn't being rude about the dark mage this time. She was just stating the obvious.

"Yeah that's true." Anna accepted, though she still had that look in her eyes. "But maybe a certain handsome tactician could convince her."

"Y-you mean me?" Robin stuttered.

"No, the other tactician she's obsessed with." Anna playfully snarked. "Yes you! Just put on the patented Robin charm and she'll agree to start yesterday."

"Patented Robin charm?"

"Well, I can get it patented for you."

Both Robin and Lucina looked uncomfortable now. Neither one of them liked the idea of the former flirting with Tharja (albeit for different reasons).

"Thanks, but no thanks." Robin declined the patent offer. "And sorry, but I don't think I can get Tharja to help you. Mainly because I don't want to lead her on, especially just to rope her into your scam."

"It's not a scam if there are results." Anna defended, looking insulted. She then put on a disheartened expression and sighed overdramatically. "And here I was hoping I would finally be able to afford that lavish tub I always wanted. Now how will I ever be able to bathe in all my coins in style? I guess dreams never do come true."

"Uh-huh, real heartbreaking." Robin deadpanned. "Though I don't doubt that you probably will need some extra cash after you pay for that tavern you girls destroyed last night."

"Oh that? Don't worry, I was only charged for the rent and nothing more." Anna dismissed.

"What?" both Robin and Lucina breathed out. How in the world did this woman weasel out of paying for all the damages the party created?

"You didn't expect me to make a purchase that had any hidden fees, did you?" Anna spoke, reading their minds. "A girl's got to manage her money well, right?"

"But don't you feel guilty for costing the owner more than what you paid him?" Lucina questioned the trickster's integrity.

"Hey that's his fault for not realizing he was getting a bum deal." Anna shrugged. "Besides, he said he'd take care of it. We didn't leave that much of a mess for him."

* * *

Back in town, a man and a woman were staring at a dilapidated building with broken windows, a fallen sign, and the whole foundation struggling not to collapse on itself. It didn't always resemble a rundown pile mind you. It was once the nicest bar in town, and the man gazing at it was the owner of that fine establishment. Then last night, a bunch of girls came, they had a few drinks, and then the unspeakable happened. Now the owner and his wife were looking at the aftermath of it all.

"I can't believe those women did all of this!" the wife complained. "How are we supposed to pay for all of this!?"

Strangely enough, the owner didn't look the least bit perturbed. "Relax honey, I've got it covered." he assured his partner. "We'll just blame it all on bandits."

"Bandits?" the wife raised an eyebrow. "How is blaming this on bandits going to fix anything?"

"There was a group of travelling salesman offering bandit insurance passing by and I happened to buy an insurance plan from them." her husband explained. He took out the insurance papers and held them up for her to see.

"And you didn't think about consulting _me_ before buying this 'bandit insurance'?"

"Honey, I was all alone, they couldn't stay in town forever, it was then or never. All we have to do is claim that bandits were the ones who ruined my tavern and they'll compensate for everything."

"So your plan to fix all of this is to commit insurance fraud?"

"Honey, the place has been burned, violated, and ransacked. Those women might as well have been bandits."

The wife sighed "I guess we don't have a much of a choice." she relented.

"There you go!" The owner put away his papers and looked back at his ruined tavern confidently. "Yessiree, everything's gonna be juuuuuuuuuust fine!"

* * *

"If you say so." an unconvinced Lucina muttered.

Feeling that there was nothing left to discuss, Anna went back to her task. "Well if you two don't need anything else, I'll just get back to packing." She finished wrapping chains around her chest and proceeded to attach a big lock on it.

"Uh…I'm glad you're making sure our inventory is secured, but we may need to get it out quickly for the upcoming battle." said Robin, curiosity about the chest finally getting the better of him.

"Oh these aren't your weapons or anything." informed Anna. "In here is just some of my merchandise. My sister warned me that bandit raids are common around where we're heading, and I'm making sure my goods are extra protected."

"Really?" this brought some concern to the tactician. "Should we be on the lookout for them on our march?"

"Absolutely!" Anna exclaimed. "These bandits are ruthless against honest saleswomen such as moi. Why I heard that several months ago, they stole an entire caravan filled with figurines!"

"That's horrible!" Lucina gasped. "To what depths must brigands sink to do such a criminal act?"

"Wait, hold up. They stole figurines?" a baffled Robin inquired. "Were they made of gold or something?"

"Nope, just your ordinary fine works of woodcraft." Anna described.

Robin was downright stupefied at what he just heard. "Who would go to that much trouble just to steal a bunch of figurines?"

Lucina turned to him, shocked that he would say something like that. "Robin, it doesn't matter what was stolen!" she argued. "The fact that there are people who would steal in the first place is despicable alone!"

"Well yeah that's bad." Robin admitted. "But what I want to know is what would anyone gain from stealing wooden toys?"

"Probably to hoard them all for themselves." Lucina deduced. "Making sure that no one else gets to rightfully buy their own. Taunting them for having what should be for the people."

She sounded oddly passionate about this topic. Sure she always had a strong sense of justice, but she never expressed it to Owain's level of ham. What could possibly cause the swordswoman to outburst like this?

"Do people really care that much about these things?" he asked exasperatedly.

"Oh you'd be surprised." Anna commented. She put away her chest in the caravan and left, now having finished her packing.

"They're just figurines!" Robin repeated.

Lucina couldn't help but make a huge spiel. "Maybe to you, but what about the craftsman who carved them? Someone worked hard on those figurines for others to admire. Merchants needed to sell them to make a living. And what about the children? Those figurines were created for their enjoyment. It could have been their dream to have a tiny knight in shining armor or a beautiful mermaid. And it's been ripped away from them by those greedy bandits. Don't you understand Robin!? They're stealing children's dreams!"

"Er…I would hope children would have bigger dreams than just getting a little wooden statue." Robin sweat dropped.

"Why can't you see how important this is!?" Lucina protested. "Do you not see a problem with any of this!?"

"Oh I do." Robin confirmed. "I just think it's different from the one you're seeing."

"Then you do understand after all." Lucina let out a sigh of relief. It appears that the strategist's second sentence hadn't registered in her brain at all. "So you must know we should also be on the lookout for these rogues on our march."

"Suuuuuuuuuuuuure…" Robin reluctantly agreed. At this point he just wanted the weird conversation to end. They would most likely have to keep their guard up anyways due to the possibility of any ambushes.

"Well I'm glad you two are here already." commented a familiar voice.

Everyone's favorite ship turned towards the direction of the voice. The owner of it was none other than Chrom, who was walking towards them with Lissa, Frederick, and Owain by his side.

"Hey you guys." Robin greeted before directing his next question towards the cleric and her son. "How are you two feeling?"

"Much better." Lissa smiled. "I never thought I'd say this, but I'm glad I'm not lying around all morning."

"Indeed, it's good to see you well again milady." remarked Frederick.

His fiancé faced him with an annoyed look. "Okay Frederick, since we're getting married and all, you _have_ to start calling me Lissa." she told him.

"V-very well…Lissa." Frederick complied.

"See? Isn't it much better to not be so formal all the time?" Lissa grinned. "And best of all, I get to call you my Freddy Bear!"

Chrom and Robin snickered at the nickname while the great knight did his best to remain stoic. He would have succeeded if he had only managed to hold back a faint blush.

"I would rather you not refer to me by that ridiculous name." Frederick disagreed.

"Aww…you're no fun." Lissa complained.

"You're the one who wanted to marry him." Chrom pointed out with a smirk.

"How about you Owain?" Lucina asked her cousin. "Are you alright as well?"

"You needn't worry about me cousin." stated Owain. "One night of drinking isn't nearly enough to stop the Scion of Legend. There is nothing in this world that could hinder nor distract me from aiding you all in our noble pursuit to smite the Conqueror."

"Yyyeah…about that…" Lissa looked apprehensive. "Owain, are you sure you're okay?"

"Mother…" Owain chuckled. "I may have overdone it a little last night, but I can assure you now that I am perfectly well in both body and spirit."

"That's great and all, but that's not what I meant." Lissa clarified. "What I want to know is if you've gotten over your 'legendary sword' being fake."

"This again? Come now Mother, I thought we settled this. I am no longer upset about the false Mystletainn at all. Why would you still think otherwise?"

"Well for starters, there was that little moment you had last night."

"L-last night?" the myrmidon stuttered.

"Yeah, you know what I'm talking about."

* * *

_Last Night…_

It was dark outside and everyone was already asleep or passed out in their tents. All except for one that is. A lone prince was sobbing uncontrollably as he knelt before a makeshift tombstone with the words "I Tried" crudely inscribed on it.

After calming himself down a little, he began to sing softly.

*_To the tune of "Taps"_*

_Such a shame…_

_So much pain…_

_To break down…and shed tears…tis my bane…_

_Dreams are crushed…_

_Hope is gone…_

_Must let go…for there's no…_

_Mystletainn_

Once he sung that last verse, Owain let loose and wept even harder.

* * *

_Present Day…_

"Oh…" Owain paled. "…You…heard that."

Everybody looked at him, each of them wearing expressions of various mixes of concern and confusion.

"Look, it was a moment of drunken weakness, it didn't mean anything." Owain tried to pass off.

"Doesn't sound like it didn't mean anything." his father noted.

"Is this gonna be a normal thing?" Lissa questioned. "'Cause that seems like it could get annoying pretty quick."

"I'm over it, honestly!" Owain assured with a nervous smile.

No one was fully convinced, but the unspoken consensus among them was that it probably wouldn't be a big deal if they let go of the issue. Still, Lucina felt that her cousin could use some cheering up, especially after he tried to do the same for Robin last night. An idea came to her and she unhooked her sheath from her waist and held it out to Owain.

"If you want Owain, I can let you borrow Falchion for the upcoming battle." she offered.

"What!?" a shocked Owain cried out. "Y-you can't be serious cousin! You're giving me Falchion!?"

"It's no trouble at all." Lucina smiled. "You're part of the royal bloodline so you should be able to wield it without any problems. And with your swordsmanship, I know you'll put it to good use. I can simply use another sword this one time."

"But Lucina, do you not know what you are saying!? That is Falchion! The divine sword forged from a fang of Naga herself! One of the royal treasures of Ylisse! And on top of all that, it has a pretty cool name."

"Really?" Lucina never really cared about weapon names, but considering Owain came up with labels such as "Sky Splitter" and "Ultima Weapon", "Falchion" didn't seem like the type of name he would be into.

"Well yeah, it's just two extra letters added into the word 'Falcon', a majestic bird of power." The swordsman dramatically turned around so he was facing away and stretched his palm out to her. "I'm sorry, but I cannot accept this. For I cannot let you suffer the same fate that I have. No hero should ever know the pain of being separated from their fabled blade."

Before Lucina could once again try to convince Owain that it wouldn't be a problem, someone uttered a sentence that no one would have expected to come out of their mouth.

"Well hang on now, falcons aren't _that_ cool." proclaimed Chrom.

The blue-haired girl turned to him after he said that, confused that he would comment on that particular part of the conversation. "Father?"

"If anything, they're nothing more than dastards with wings." He actually sounded almost petulant.

Now Lucina's bewilderment was raised even further. She looked at Chrom with a puzzled expression, wondering what could have possibly make her parent act such a way.

Robin and Lissa however were snickering at the scene, doing their best not to burst out into laughter. This caused Lucina to face them instead.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"Your father never told you, did he?" assumed Robin with a smirk on his lips.

Lucina tilted her head a bit. "Tell me what?"

"Chrom here is afraid of birds." Lissa happily revealed. Her and Robin's snickers evolved into chuckles afterwards.

That was definitely not what Lucina had been expecting. In fact it sounded downright unbelievable to her. Her father, the famed heroic ruler of Ylisse back in her time, afraid of anything (that isn't an angry Sumia), let alone something as silly as birds?

"I am _not_ afraid of birds. I just hate falcons." Chrom stated adamantly.

That sounded more accurate to his daughter, but it still brings up some questions. "Why do you hate falcons so much Father? Have they wronged you somehow?" she inquired.

"You could say that." giggled Lissa. "Why don't you take a seat and let Auntie Lissa tell you the story—"

"You can share that story some time never." the Exalt quickly interrupted, now looking embarrassed all of a sudden. "We better start marching now if we're going to make it to the enemy outpost before nightfall. We've got a long trek ahead of us."

Lissa ceased chortling and became wide-eyed with worry upon hearing that. "Wait, did you say 'long trek'?"

"Indeed he did mi—…Lissa." Informed Frederick. "And he is correct. We best leave now for our hike up the mountain."

"Mountain?" the cleric squeaked in a higher-pitched and more frightened voice.

"Yeah, specifically that _really_ tall one over there." Robin pointed with a cheeky smile.

Lissa turned to where Robin was pointing and gawked at the huge mountain on the horizon. And as if to taunt her and emphasize just how colossal it was, a bird flew into view near the top of the rocky formation and let out a screech.

She was so mortified about how much walking she would have to do, she didn't even make a joke about that bird and Chrom, and instead just stood there staring in shock.

Suddenly, Lissa clutched her chest with one hand. "Urk! Oh no, I think I'm coming down with something." she rasped before reaching out with her other hand. "I suddenly can't move my legs." She fell to the ground on her knees before the rest of her body followed suit. "I don't…think I can go on any longer!"

The people around her looked at her, but not with the expression she was hoping for. It was clear she was faking, and none of them were foolish enough to fall for it. Well, all except for one that is.

"Oh no, Mother!" cried Owain. He crouched down and lifted her up a bit so he could view her face properly.

Thought it was going to be Lucina, didn't you?

"Owain is that you?" Lissa faux wheezed. "I'm sorry to make you worry like this. But I don't know how much longer I'll last."

"Mother, you can't die! I won't allow it!" the swordsman exclaimed with complete seriousness.

"I'm pretty sure she'll be fine Owain." Chrom said nonchalantly.

"No Uncle Chrom, I'm afraid she won't be." rebutted Owain. "For you see, just like in my time, my mother has caught the deadliest disease known to mankind. Lazingitus!"

"Lazingitus?" Robin repeated skeptically.

"Correct. It's an ailment that strikes at the victim whenever they do any strenuous physical activity or 'hard work'." Owain explained.

The four other Shepherds looked at each other, each one thinking about how ridiculous the whole thing sounded. Even Lucina questioned the validity of the disease's existence.

"The only way to treat it is to let her rest and laze about for extended periods." Owain picked up his mother bridal style and gently laid her in the back of Anna's caravan. "Take as much time as you need Mother."

"Thank you Owain." the blonde thanked, now sounding perfectly fine. "Isn't he just the sweetest?"

Owain stood there grinning with pride, while the rest practically sweat dropped.

"You do know your mother is just feigning illness so she can get out of marching, right?" Frederick pointed out.

"Of course she is." Owain acknowledged the obvious. "She did this all the time in the future. But we had a deal back then. I let her be lazy whenever she wants and she indulges me by playing along with my heroic portrayal."

The look of disbelief on Frederick's face spoke volumes. "Wow, really?"

"I NEED THIS DAMN IT!"

Robin shook his head and turned to face the "sick girl". "I can't believe you would use your own son just to get out of a little walk." Of course thinking about it now, he really should have expected her to do something like this.

"Hey I can't help it if he wants to take care of his mother." Lissa smiled. She stretched her arms above her head and made herself more comfortable in the caravan. "Besides, as your number one healer, I should be in peak condition if I'm gonna treat your wounds. Can't do that if I'm exhausted from all that walking, right?"

Robin couldn't help but smirk. "Oh please, we must have marched a thousand miles during the Plegian campaign. One trip up a mountain isn't going to be that bad."

* * *

*Huff huff* "Why do mountains…have to…be so steep?" Robin panted.

The Shepherds were now climbing up the mountain to get to the enemy outpost and Robin was struggling to keep up now that they were near the top. In truth, he wasn't the most physically adept Shepherd. Sure he wielded a sword as one of his means of offense and he was certainly fit enough to be in the army, but that's only because he has been getting help with extra training sessions from his friends, and even then the results weren't exactly substantial. It wasn't too much of a problem though since magic was more his forte and he could still easily keep up while fighting thanks to his conviction and the adrenaline rush that comes with it. Though when he's outside of battle, well…

*Huff huff*

On the plus side, no ambush…yet.

"C'mon, keep up the pace." Lissa teased while lounging in the back of the caravan in front of Robin. "Work those leg muscles."

The strategist glowered at her in a way that would make you think the healer got away with murder. "Oh don't you even start."

"What's the matter? One trip up a mountain isn't that bad." Lissa echoed tauntingly.

"Don't you use my words against me!" snapped Robin.

His outburst prompted Lissa to laugh, which in turn caused Robin to sigh angrily.

"If it's so easy to walk, why don't you try it out yourself?"

"I would love to, but I'm still sick." Lissa lied. "If I wasn't, I would totally—"

"Still sit in a caravan and taunt me the whole time." finished Robin.

"Oh you know me so well." Lissa grinned. She knocked on the side of the caravan a couple of times. "You can move up a bit now Anna."

With that command, the caravan picked up its speed so it was farther ahead of Robin, ending their chat. With that annoying, yet begrudgingly helpful, distraction gone, he went back to breathing heavily.

A decent distance behind him, Lucina was watching him suffer throughout the hike. It pained her to see the man in great pain like this. Not to mention his current condition could surely affect his performance against the Valmese. She would go up and try to help him, but she couldn't think of any way to do so other than offer words of encouragement, and she doubted that would be helpful.

"Here, give him this." a voice spoke from behind her.

Lucina turned around and found a pink-haired dancer handing him a water canteen. "Olivia?"

Just then, Henry walked up next to Olivia to join the girls. "Hey, isn't that the canteen I gave you this morning?" he asked out of curiosity.

"Mm-hmm." Olivia nodded. "I kept it just in case I would have to need some for the trip. But it looks like Robin needs it more."

"Oh, thank you Olivia." Lucina graciously accepted the canteen.

"Just remember, you didn't get this from me." Olivia smiled.

Lucina gave her a confused look. She clearly received the canteen from the woman. Why would she tell her something that contradicted her actions? Regardless, Robin's health came first, so Lucina decided to question what just happened later and made her way over to the man who was still panting like an animal in heat.

"Here." Lucina handed Robin the canteen. "Have some water."

The tactician was a little surprised to see his best friend's daughter come up to him, but that feeling vanished the split second his eyes laid on the container of water bathed in divine light with an angelic choir chanting in the background (of course his lack of oxygen could be making him delirious). He took the water and guzzled down a large amount, already feeling much better.

"Thank you, Lucina." Robin sighed with relief. "You're a lifesaver."

"I just gave you some water Robin. It's nothing to praise me for." Lucina tried to downplay her gesture while holding back a blush. She turned her head to face Olivia and Henry who were now talking to one another (the latter making stabbing motions for some reason) several paces away. "And the one you should really be thanking is—"

She paused, remembering what Olivia had told her about "not getting the water from her". Said pinkette turned her head towards Lucina and winked when she met her gaze.

'Oh, I understand.' Lucina thought, as she seemingly figured out the intentions. She turned back to Robin with a confident grin.

"I didn't get it from Olivia." she stated assertively.

Olivia cringed once those words rung out and Robin gave the future Exalt a puzzled look. Soon that look started to weigh on Lucina's confidence and her wide smile began to falter. Did she do something wrong?

"O…kay?" Robin commented, not knowing what to make of that statement. He _maybe_ had the sneaking suspicion that Olivia _might_ have given Lucina the canteen, but decided to drop the matter.

An awkward silence lingered between them, with Lucina cursing that she made a fool out of herself. Fortunately, the discomfort wouldn't last long between them.

"Everyone hold up." Chrom suddenly called up from the front. All the Shepherds stopped at his command.

"What's going on Chrom?" Robin asked. His head darted from side to side "Is it an ambush?"

"Worse." informed Chrom.

"Worse?" Robin and Lucina looked at each other before the former walked up to his friend's side. "What could actually be— …oh."

Lucina joined them and gasped at what she saw. There before their eyes laid what looked like a small town. Or rather the remnants of one. What were once clearly buildings were smashed into piles of ashes, rubble, and broken boards. Crops were razed and there didn't seem to be another soul in sight.

"What did this?" Lucina wondered fearfully.

"Could this be the Valmese's doing?" Chrom speculated. He motioned everyone to move forward, searching for any clues or signs.

"Look, there's someone." Robin pointed out.

Standing amidst the debris, a lone maiden was holding a banana bunch head high to her side and staring at it. A strange sight sure, but at least there was someone who could inform them on what happened here.

"Um…excuse me." Chrom spoke.

The maiden slowly rotated her head to look at the Shepherds coming towards her.

"Err…are we…interrupting something?" Chrom asked.

"No." the woman replied. It was impossible to miss the depressed tone in her voice. "I was simply mourning."

"O-oh, my apologies ma'am. Please take as much time as you need."

"No need. I must learn to let go eventually." By this point, the maiden has given them their full attention. "Is there something I could help you with?"

No one felt comfortable making her talk, but it was a must. "You wouldn't be able to tell us what happened here, would you?" inquired Robin.

"Is it not obvious?" the maiden asked solemnly. "Our town was ravaged. Everything destroyed by savage men."

"I see." Robin mused. "Do you know where those men are now?"

The maiden motioned her head towards the direction behind her. "They've taken refuge in a nearby fort at the edge of the cliff."

"That must be the lookout point." figured Robin.

"Indeed." concurred Chrom. "Though I still can't believe Walhart's soldiers would do this to their own people."

"It wasn't the Conqueror's men." informed the maiden.

"What?" Chrom gasped.

The maiden looked at them with pained eyes. "It was a robed group of bandits who called themselves 'the Grimleal'."

"The Grimleal!?" Chrom and Robin exclaimed.

"Yes." the maiden nodded.

Everyone looked at each other with worry and confusion. What were the Grimleal doing this far away from Plegia?

"So Walhart's men were never here in the first place?" asked Chrom.

"No, they were." the maiden clarified. "When Walhart began his conquest, he sent some troops to our town and settled themselves at the abandoned fort. They weren't exactly the friendliest soldiers, but as long as we didn't give them any trouble, they would pay us no mind." She then grew more somber. "But then one day, the Grimleal came, demanding us the location of the fort. We showed them the way, warning them about the soldiers there, hoping that would be the end of it. But they soon came back no worse for wear."

"They managed to defeat a squad of Valmese soldiers!?" Robin asked, taken aback at this implied feat.

"It came as a shock to all of us as well." said the maiden. "Then they proceeded to destroy everything in sight. They burned down our homes and all of our possessions as well. I don't even think they had a reason to do so, other than to make us suffer. They threatened to kill us if we they ever saw us near here again. But not before 'giving a demonstration' by slaughtering some of us." She looked down sadly at the bananas in her hand. "Including my father."

The main three talking to her each gave one another an apprehensive look, figuring out that that was the lost loved one the maiden was grieving for.

"He was a fruit merchant, and the best father a daughter could ask for. He would always try to make everyone around him smile and make their lives better through his deeds. You could never find a kinder soul." Tears were now welling up in her eyes. "But now…now…"

And that was it. The dam broke and the girl was now crying at full force.

"WHY!? WHY DID THEY KILL HIM!? HE NEVER DID ANYTHING WRONG!?" She continued to weep, and looked like she would be doing so for a while.

"I'm so sorry." Lucina consoled while putting a hand on her shoulder. She knew exactly what this maiden was going through. Not only had she lost her own father once before, but towns decimated like this one was a common occurrence in the future, and any survivors would always have trouble coping. She hoped that by being back in the past she wouldn't have to see anything like that again. But here she was, in another ruined settlement, caused by the very people who would bring about the fell dragon's uprising no less. It both triggered dreadful memories, and made her worry about what the Grimleal were up to.

"Wait, so aren't you in danger just by being here?" questioned Robin, remembering the Grimleal's threat.

"What's the point?" sobbed the maiden. "I've lost my home, my father, everything. What do I have left?"

"Your life, of course." Lucina stated sternly. The maiden looked away, obviously not seeing any value in that. "Listen, I know it may seem hopeless, but you must remain strong. If your father was everything you said he was, he wouldn't want you to give up like this. He would want you to be brave and continue living your life as you always have."

The maiden sniffled, finally starting to calm down a bit. "He would want that." she admitted. For a brief moment she made a small smile before frowning again. "But even so, how could I possibly live the same life with those monsters around?"

"That's where we come in." Chrom answered. "We are the Shepherds, and we've come to Valm to put an end to the Conqueror's reign. However, stopping dastards like the Grimleal from ravaging any more towns is also part of our duty. We'll make sure they'll pay for what they've done."

The maiden looked up with hopeful eyes. "Y-…you will?"

"You have our word." Chrom smiled.

"Th-thank you." The maiden stopped crying, fully believing in these nice strangers. "I wish there was something I could do to help."

"Well if you can, is there anything else you can tell us about the Grimleal that we should know about?" Robin asked, always looking for intel to work with before a battle.

The maiden thought for a short time before coming up with a small detail. "I suppose there is one thing. The fort those Grimleal confined themselves in happens to be a maze."

"A maze?" Robin raised an eyebrow.

"I don't know why it is, but it's been like that since this town was settled. It's quite easy to get yourself lost in if you don't know the way. I'm sorry I don't have a map or anything to offer you."

"We'll have to make do." acknowledged Robin. "Thanks for telling us this ahead of time."

"Go find somewhere safe. We'll come back to tell you when they're taken care of." Chrom told the maiden.

She followed his orders and the Shepherds made their way through the remains of the town and found the enemy outpost near the cliff's edge just as they were informed. Sure enough, there were Grimleal troops lingering near the fort, either in front of it for the foot soldiers, or hovering over the side of the cliff for the flying units. The weirdest thing was all of them looked ready for battle.

"Looks like they've been expecting us." Chrom observed.

"I don't like this." Robin stated. He turned to the rest of their army and ordered them to be on their guard.

One of the Grimleal outside ran inside the fort, possibly to alert everyone in the maze. Not long after, a man who looked _incredibly_ familiar stepped out of the entrance to "greet" their guests.

"Who goes there?" the lanky man demanded an answer.

Normally this would be when Chrom would announce that they're the Shepherds and that they've come to cease this injustice or something along those lines. But after seeing this man's face, only one subject crossed his mind.

"Wait, didn't we fight this guy before?"

Once the Exalt said that, the rest of the Shepherds began to notice a connection.

"Hey yeah, isn't that the leader of those 'insurance salesmen'?" Robin wondered aloud.

"It does look just like him." Lucina noted.

"What was his name again?" Lissa tried to remember. "Newt? Iguana? Salamander?"

"Salamander!?" a gruff voice yelled.

All of the Grimleal groaned as a muscular soldier with a shaggy black mullet rushed out from the entrance and looked around the scene as if he was searching for something.

"It's nothing Redfox." the familiar man tried to dismiss him, giving an annoyed sigh.

"I know I heard Salamander's name!" Redfox snarled.

"I said it's nothing. Ignore what you heard."

"You can't hide him from me!"

"Oh will you let it go already!?" the other man snapped. "For the love of Grima, every day we have to deal with this! The 'mystical fire warrior', _Salamander_, and how you've been searching to do battle with him. We get it! Now shut up and go back to your post!"

Redfox grumbled, heading back inside the fort like he was told. The first man pinched the bridge of his nose and heaved another sigh before recomposing himself.

"Now then." he turned to the Shepherds. "We have never met, but we were destined to cross paths sooner or later, _Shepherds_."

"So you know who we are." noted Chrom, narrowing his eyes.

"Indeed I do." the man returned the glare. "I am known as Jamil. I was chosen to lead this sect of the Grimleal. And you are no doubt trying to stand in the way of our life's goal."

"And was levelling an entire town necessary for that goal?" Chrom questioned rhetorically.

"Is that why you've come here?" Jamil sneered. "It just happened to be too close to us for our liking, so we decided to get rid of that eyesore. Along with some of the 'trash' wallowing inside."

"That's your reasoning!?" Chrom shouted.

"They would've been purged anyways by the time the fell dragon rises once more." Jamil waved off, yet keeping that same scowl. "All we did was made sure they would not bear witness to his glorious revival."

"How dare you!" Lucina yelled and gritted her teeth. She couldn't stand to hear this man not only casually dismiss the lives of innocents, but also revere the very monster that caused so much annihilation in her time. It made her sick to her stomach that it was because of people like him who practically brought about the apocalypse in the first place.

"Do you even know what will happen once Grima is revived!? What he is even capable of!? The catastrophe he'll bring!?"

"He'll silence you heathens, that's for sure." Jamil shot back.

"You won't get away with this!" declared Chrom.

"Oh really? And who's going to stop us?" Jamil goaded.

Before the Exalt could answer, a suave voice rang out. "That would be me."

Everyone looked to the side where it came from and found a young man with white hair constantly tossing a killing edge up in the air and catching it as it comes down walking into the scenario. He looked like a mercenary based on the collared shirt and pieces of armor they typically wear. While most were wondering who this stranger was, the two future children were awestruck that they came across another of their own.

"And who, pray tell, are you?" Jamil queried.

The newcomer gave a dashing smile. "Just a man helping out a young lady."

"Inigo!" Lucina and Owain called out.

Upon hearing his name, the young man turned towards the two. His mouth went agape as soon as he laid eyes on his once fellow comrades, but soon turned itself into a warm grin.

"Why if it isn't the lovely Lucina. And her annoying, but lovable cousin." Inigo greeted.

"It's so good to see you again." Lucina smiled.

"Indeed! Another savior of the future has been reunited with us!" Owain cheered. "Soon we shall all come together once more! And as long as we're under the banner of the Shepherds, there is no force of evil we cannot smite!"

"The Shepherds?" Inigo finally took notice of the other people his friends were travelling along with. He didn't get a good look at them beforehand, but now that he has, he couldn't stop staring. Particularly at a certain dancer and man by her side.

"How long has it been since I've seen such familiar faces?" he mused to himself.

"So who is this Lucina?" Chrom asked his daughter. "Another friend of yours from the future?"

"Yes Father." Lucina introduced. "This is Inigo."

"The pleasure is all mine sir." Inigo politely greeted before turning his focus back to his long lost ally. "I take it you're here to make these brutes pay for what they did to that town?"

"We are." Lucina confirmed. "How did you know about that?"

"I happened to come across the survivors camping out nearby while making my way through the mountain. There were some fine beauties there who told me about the men who demolished their homes, and after seeing the tears on their faces, I knew I had to do something about it."

"Err…right." said Chrom, starting to get an uneasy feeling about this new guy. By now, he and everyone else could tell that Inigo was a skirt chaser about five sentences ago. They already had Virion, they didn't need another philanderer who thinks with the wrong head.

"Well whatever the reason, I'm glad you're here with us now." Lucina affirmed. "I'd love to talk some more, but right now the Grimleal are our main priority."

"Of course." Inigo grinned. "Let's crush these rascals first and then we can catch up over some tea." He gave a flirty wink, hoping Lucina would accept his invitation.

"Right." the swordswoman agreed, not really acknowledging Inigo hitting on her.

Jamil had listened to the entire conversation, showing particular interest on the part about some of the Shepherds being from the future.

"So the rumors were true then." he spoke to himself. For the first time since he showed himself, he actually smiled, and it was _not_ pleasant.

Inigo faced the Grimleal, putting on more serious expression. "You have a lot of nerve doing what you do."

Jamil went back to frowning once he saw this, though more out of annoyance than anything else. "Eager for the afterlife, are we?"

The mercenary closed his eyes. "You still haven't realize the crimes you've committed, have you? You've destroyed a town. Ruined so many lives. Taken some as well. And worst of all…" His eyes shot open. "You made some pretty girls cry. And we can't let that slip by, now can we?"

"All I heard is that you're a fledgling desperately trying to fight against his fate." Jamil scoffed. "As are the rest of you. You will fall here. And Lord Grima will rain down retribution on those who defy him."

"Not in this timeline." Lucina declared.

"Everyone, get ready!" Robin commanded.

The Shepherds took their battle stances, prepared for their opponents to make their move.

*_Cue battle music_*

"Slaughter them all." Jamil ordered. All the foot soldiers charged ahead at his command, as he turned around and calmly walked back inside the fort.

Inigo and Owain ran forward, lifting up their swords and bringing them down on an enemy assassin who managed to block both strikes with his own blade. All three swords were locked together for a brief second before the assassin hopped back while sheathing his current weapon and pulled out a bow, holding it sideways. He nocked two arrows and fired, each one heading towards a swordsman. Owain managed to cut the one launched at him before he was hit, while Inigo dodged by flipping backwards.

Before the assassin could load another arrow, Inigo rushed forward, grabbed him by the back of the head, and dragged him to the fort behind. Due to the mercenary's momentum, the Grimleal couldn't stop himself from smashing face first into the fort's wall while Inigo remained unharmed as he ran up the wall a bit and back flipped off of it and away from the assassin before stabbing him in the back.

"One down." Inigo prided himself. Owain caught up to him and the two headed inside the fort, finding themselves in a long corridor with a passageway connected at each end.

"What the— what is this, some kind of maze!?" Inigo exclaimed.

"Oh yeah, we forgot to tell you, this fort is a maze." informed Owain.

"What!? Why would anyone make their fort a maze!?" Inigo complained. "That's super impractical!"

"There they are!"

Inigo and Owain stopped conversing and turned to see a sorcerer backed by two assassins coming for them from one of the ends of the hallway. The sorcerer launched a dark spell at the youths, which Inigo leapt over and Owain behind him cut the incoming spell in half. Once the mercenary jumped over it, he landed on the wall, kicked himself off of it, and struck the sorcerer with a devastating blow as he landed on the ground. One of the assassins went in to try and slash Inigo, but the latter spun and parried the attack, and both of them started clashing swords for a short while until Inigo managed to knock his opponent's weapon out of his grasp and up in the air. Inigo then performed an aerial cartwheel while catching the falling enemy's sword and stabbing it through the assassin's throat as his feet touched the ground, killing him instantly.

Swooping past Inigo's side, Owain went for the other assassin who managed to deflect the incoming strikes. Seeing that his friend wasn't making too much progress, Inigo slipped past by the two and tried to slash from behind, but the Grimleal was able to block it as well. Now stuck in the middle between two capable sword wielders, the assassin was parrying attacks from both sides, but his defenses were starting to struggle. Soon there was an opening in his guard and Owain and Inigo simultaneously sliced at his neck, decapitating him while they turned their backs dramatically.

"Alright, now which way do we go?" Inigo wondered.

"Leave that to me." The two turned around to see Henry pushing his ear up against the wall and tapping it with his fist while Donnel and Anna were watching him.

"You're familiar with mazes?" Owain questioned.

"Nah, mazes are dumb." Henry confessed. "That's why I'm gonna cheat."

Inigo raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean 'cheat'?"

The dark mage tapped on a spot that sounded different from previous ones. He grinned and charged a Ruin spell in his hand and forced it against the spot, blasting a hole in the wall.

The future kids stared in awe for a couple of seconds. "That works." said Inigo.

All five went through the newly made shortcut and found themselves in another hallway connected to several corridors. However, Henry didn't have time to check for a weak spot as the sound of footsteps and armor clanking could be heard around two different corners.

"Dagnabbit!" Donnel "swore". "I reckon we're gonna be here a while."

"You two look like you can kill a lot on your own." Henry said to Owain and Inigo. "Why don't you go on ahead and we'll catch up."

"Are you sure?" Inigo asked with concern.

"We can handle things here." Anna assured. "Just remember you owe us one."

"You have our thanks." Owain acknowledged. "Your efforts shall not go in vain."

He and Inigo ran through the entryway in front of them. At that moment, a small group of assassins and sorcerers came through the right corner of the hall while a general arrived through the left, trapping the remaining three Shepherds.

Henry pulled out the Translatorb and started talking to it. "Alright buddy, it's your first day on the job. It's your time to shine and show everyone how good you are at manslaughter."

"_Translation: This is the day bitches die!_"

The Translatorb suddenly glowed with a dark aura. Henry then lobbed it at one of the sorcerers and nailed him in the face, knocking him down. The orb then flew right back into Henry's hand through a magic force. Henry then threw it at an assassin which hit him in the jaw, sending him to the ground as well, with the Translatorb once again returning back into Henry's grip. This kept repeating with the kill-happy boy now adding in trick shots to the mix. A twirl before a pitch and another assassin was struck in the kneecap. Under the leg and the last assassin got hit hard in the solar plexus. Ricochet off the wall and the other sorcerer took a blow to the gut and staggered backwards.

When the first sorcerer attempted to pick himself up, Donnel raced towards him while dragging his sword across the stone floor and beheaded the Grimleal. In that same motion, the farm boy turned slightly and stabbed the first assassin in the temple while he was still on the ground. He then tried to land a downward slash on the second assassin who was now on one knee, but even with that handicap, the enemy still managed to raise his own sword and block the attack. Since his opponent wouldn't budge, Donnel kicked him in the side of his head, knocking him down on his back and then stabbed him right through the heart.

Suddenly an arrow struck Donnel's shoulder, causing him to grasp at it in pain before forcefully pulling it out. He looked ahead and saw that the final assassin is now up again and aiming another arrow at him. The villager raised his sword and chucked it forward, making it spin vertically in the air before lodging itself in the assassin's chest before he could shoot his arrow. Now all that was left was the remaining sorcerer, and despite being no longer armed, Donnel charged straight at him. The sorcerer launched a fireball at him, figuring he had no means of defending himself and securing an easy kill. Donnel grabbed the pot on his head, held it in front of him, and caught the fire spell inside. He then jumped and covered the Grimleal's head with the pot, burning his head with his own fire magic.

Meanwhile on the other side, Anna was facing off against the general solo. The merchant was trying to land a hit with her Levin sword, now charged with electricity, but the general was able to defend himself from every attempt with his lance. Both combatants clashed their weapons many times before the general thrusted his spear and Anna leapt back to avoid it. She then used her sword to call down a lightning bolt on her opponent, but he raised his shield above him which protected him from the thunder spell. As this happened, Anna rushed at her foe and swung at him, but the general was surprisingly quick enough to parry her attack, causing her to stagger, and then followed up by bashing her with his shield, knocking her several feet back and onto the hard ground.

The trickster hopped back on her feet, brushed her clothes a bit, and pulled out a coin. "I don't suppose I could convince you to look the other way?" She flipped the coin in the air and caught it.

The general entered a stance that indicated he was about to charge at her.

"Had to try." Anna held the coin in between two of her fingers and touched it the tip of her sword, generating it full of electricity.

The general ran at her, prepared to end the redhead for good. When the behemoth of a man was close enough, Anna spun once and threw her electrified coin into the eye slot of his helmet. The general was halted in his tracks as he screamed in agony while being shocked. Taking advantage of this opportune moment, Anna drove her Levin sword through his armor and into his torso, then shot a surge of electricity through his body, amplifying his pain. The merchant stopped shocking the man after a while and pulled her sword out of the body, which caused it to fall lifelessly on its back.

Back outside the fort, the rest of the Shepherds were engaged in combat of their own. Virion and an assassin were running parallel each other and shooting arrows at one another. Due to their speed, the arrows kept missing their target, as both bowmen kept zooming by. Until Virion slid on the ground feet forward, slowing himself down considerably to the point where the enemy assassin was ahead of him, giving him a clear shot. Virion took this opportunity and fired an arrow that landed in the Grimleal's back. The assassin stopped running because of the pain, which made him an easier target for the "Archest of Archers", as he launched another arrow which struck the assassin in the back of his head, finishing him off.

Before Virion could relish in his victory, he rolled out of the way as he narrowly dodged a sorcerer's Arcfire. Said sorcerer discharged another spell at the archer, who at the same time hopped off the ground and shot an arrow at the sorcerer. The arrow pierced through the flames of the spell, igniting itself, and while Virion managed to dodge the rest of the fireball, the flaming arrow pierced straight through the sorcerer's skull.

Virion would've taken this time to rest, but once that dark mage was dispatched, another assassin launched an arrow at him. The archer was too tired to move, and could only watch the projectile get closer to his face. Fortunately, Lon'qu came to his rescue by running in front of him. The myrmidon held his sheathed sword vertically in front of him and partially pulled it out of its sheath. The arrow made contact with the edge of the blade and split itself down the middle, each half flying off to the sides of both Shepherds. Lon'qu then rushed towards the assassin while fully drawing his sword, and sliced through the bow along with its wielder. He then sprinted over to two more hostile assassins and began to unleash a barrage of strikes on one, who began blocking them in response and started delivering attacks of his own. After blocking a slash to his left, Lon'qu eventually found an opening and took a quick swipe at the Grimleal's side, causing him great pain. The other assassin drew his sword and went in for a stab, but Lon'qu shoved the first foe from his back and into his ally's weapon. While the living assassin was trying to comprehend what just happened, the Shepherd's swordsman stabbed through the deceased's cranium from behind, with the tip of the blade piercing through the front and stabbing his comrade in the face.

Lon'qu removed his weapon from both heads and swiped at the air once to get some of the blood off it. He could hear hasty footsteps heading for his position and nonchalantly held his blade behind him to block a sneak attack from another assassin. The myrmidon pushed the assailant away from him and the two exchanged four strikes, neither one able to hit the other, with a fifth attempt locking their swords together. They both leapt back, but when the enemy thought he could move in, he suddenly found himself with a nocked arrow staring at his face as Virion side-flipped into his view. The blue-haired archer let go of the bowstring while he was in midair, killing the assassin, and landed firmly on his feet. He turned to face his ally expecting the swordsman to be impressed. Instead Lon'qu just turned his head away and scoffed, annoyed that the fop stole his kill, and went off to find a new victim.

Elsewhere, Frederick and his mount were charging straight at an enemy general, silver lance ready to pierce his armor. The general stood his ground as he shifted his body in order to avoid the brunt of the attack, the lance only grazing his shield as the great knight galloped past him. Frederick came around again and just like before, he only managed to brush his weapon against the enemy's shield while passing. On his third attempt, the general swung his own lance to the side of Frederick's horse with such a surprising amount of strength he was able to knock down the horse to the ground, its rider tumbling a good distance away from it. The general came up to the downed horse and brought his weapon down on it, but was stopped by another lance that belonged to Frederick who was already up again. He then unleashed an assault of strikes, slashes and weapon twirls upon his opponent, who could only back away while maneuvering his lance and shield to protect himself. Eventually, Frederick was able to knock the general's shield out of his grasp and then reeled his arm back for a powerful stab to the face. The armored Grimleal did the same, and before either attacks could connect, they both caught the opposing weapons in their free hands and were now trying to overpower the other.

The struggle ended when the general head-butted Frederick, dazing the stalwart knight and giving him a bloody nose. The general then let go of Frederick's lance and punched him hard in the gut, sending him to the ground. The enemy raised his weapon in order to finish the fight for good, until a shadow was casted over him. He looked behind him and saw the horse he knocked down up on its hind legs and neighing furiously. It brought down its forelegs on the general, who blocked it by holding his lance above him with both hands. Focusing all his attention into supporting his defense against the beast, he failed to notice Frederick getting back up until he thrusted his weapon into his back, penetrating the armor and rupturing his heart. The horse eased off the Grimleal as his rider removed his lance from the body which now fell down with a hard clang. Frederick simply got back on his steed and continued to battle amongst his comrades.

Another general was clashing his axe with Basilio's. Despite wearing such bulky armor, the general was maneuverable enough to defend all of the West Khan's attacks with his weapon and shield. Said Khan was getting frustrated that he couldn't even make a dent so far against this brute. He could probably keep up a barrage of strikes and try to outlast his opponent in a battle of stamina, but his impatience was screaming at him to settle this now. After blocking an overhead slash and failing to connect his follow up attack thanks to that accursed shield, Basilio stepped back away to give him a brief moment to strategize. He then heard a commotion behind him and looked to witness Ricken take out two Grimleal with wind magic, giving Basilio an idea.

"Hey kid, gimme a boost!" he shouted.

"Alright!" Ricken jumped on the warrior's back and held on tight before outstretching his hand behind him. "Arcwind!"

A huge burst of gust blasted from the mage's palm as Basilio pushed himself forward off the ground, propelling the two at high speed. The general could register how fast they were until Basilio swung his axe at his weapon arm while they jetted past him. Thanks to his strength and the momentum boost from Ricken's spell, the slash had enough force for the Khan to cut his foe's arm clean off. While the general was recoiling from the pain, Flavia came from behind, grabbed the Grimleal and pushed him down over her knee, breaking his back. She then finished him off with a stab to the chest with her sword, and shoved the corpse off her knee afterwards.

Cordelia and her pegasus were running sideways along the wall of the cliff with an enemy dark flier, the two bashing their spears together attempting to hurt each other. Cordelia soon found an opening and knocked her opponent's lance out of her grip, making it fall into the forest far below. The redhead swiped at the dark flier, who barely managed to dodge, the spear grazing her face and leaving a cut under her eye. The flier gritted her teeth in anger and pulled out a tome, causing Cordelia's eyes to widen once she noticed what kind it was.

"Arcwind!"

Cordelia was scarcely able to order her pegasus to jump off the cliff side and out of the way of the spell. The mount was now hovering in the air while it and its rider were shaking off their anxiousness until they heard wings flapping behind them. No doubt it was the dark flier who must have taken this opportunity to fly around and try to attack from the rear.

"Arcwind!"

The pegasus rider only had enough time to turn around before she took on the full force of the wind magic, slamming her and the winged horse into the cliff side. Her lance flew out of her grasp and lodged itself into the rock wall behind her. The dark flier casted the same spell, but this time Cordelia was able to fly upwards and avoid another direct hit. As her foe moved into a different position, she racked her brain trying to figure out a way to win this battle without a weapon. It seemed she was out of time when she noticed the Grimleal a ways away in front, yet below her, about to launch another Arcwind. However, this gave the redhead an idea, as she noticed her still wedged lance was also ahead of her. The dark flier fired another spell, but Cordelia jumped forward off her pegasus while it dived downwards, causing the wind to miss both, blowing in between them. Cordelia didn't fall too far as she stopped her descent by grabbing her lance, spinning once around it, and then vaulted forward while dislodging her spear out of the cliff and into her possession again. She twirled her weapon above her head before striking downwards onto the dark flier, stabbing right through the rider and piercing the spearhead into the black pegasus. Cordelia removed her lance from the two bodies, leapt off the flying horse as it fell from the air, and landed safely on her own mount as it came back for its master.

Meanwhile on the ground, Chrom pushed back an assassin he was dueling with before jumping up and going in for an overhead slash. The assassin held up his sword above to block it, but the Exalt broke through the blade and drove Falchion's edge into his skull, splitting his head down to the bottom of his neck. A sorcerer joined the fray and casted two Waste spells at Chrom, who pulled out his sword from the chopped cranium and rolled out of the way. The sorcerer fired another volley of dark magic at the Shepherd's leader, who could only hop backwards before they hit the spot where he once was. Chrom stood tall and charged at his foe, prepared to annihilate him up close.

The sorcerer conjured up a spell in each hand again, but heard what sounded like someone else also rushing towards him. He took a quick peek behind him and saw Lucina dashing at him just like her father. The Grimleal changed up his attack and aimed one had at each of them before letting loose both spells. Chrom and Lucina both slid feet first under the magic and tried to follow up with an attack from rising off the ground. However, the sorcerer sidestepped out of the just before either Falchion could touch him, causing father and daughter to end up locking their swords together. They quickly separated and faced the enemy who was now far enough away from them to charge his Waste spells with even more power. He launched both projectiles which began swirling closer and closer in the air until they came into contact with each other and merged into one large shadow ball. Chrom and Lucina braced themselves for impact, but before the amped up magic could reach them, a lightning bolt struck it from above, dissipating the darkness entirely. The two stood there shocked briefly, before turning back to see Robin with his Levin sword raised above him.

The tactician walked up to his friends, and all three nodded their heads, wordlessly communicating a plan. They all ran towards the sorcerer, who tried to fend them off by shooting spell after spell at them. The Shepherds kept strafing out of the way and kept getting closer to their adversary, so he tried a new strategy and casted Waste at Chrom and Lucina's feet. The two couldn't properly keep up their speed while dodging this attack, so they had no choice but to roll to the side to avoid it at the cost of halting their pace completely. Robin however was still heading for the sorcerer, and was able to make it to his destination and pulled his sword back, ready to stab. The Grimleal panicked and hastily shot one last spell upwards, knocking Robin's blade out of his hand, but that didn't stop the strategist as he still shot his arm out and hit the sorcerer's chest with a hard palm strike. While his opponent was stunned from the pain, Robin's hand began to spark with electricity.

"Thoron!"

A beam of lightning shot out of the whitehead's palm, hitting the sorcerer with so much force it sent him flying across the battlefield and over the cliff on the other side. At this point, Robin exhaled heavily, feeling he might be able to catch his breath for a moment. It didn't last long, as he soon noticed over the cliff side that Nowi was struggling against a griffon rider. He really began to worry the moment the rider made a gash in the manakete's chest. Robin's eyes scoured the battlefield to see if there was anyone that could help. Fortunately, he found Libra and Tharja finishing off some Grimleal near the edge of the cliff.

"Libra! Tharja! Catapult!" Robin called out.

The war monk and dark mage acknowledged the order, as the former held his hammer behind him with the flat side facing up. Tharja took a running start towards Libra, jumped on his hammer, and he flung her straight at Nowi as she pushed herself off at the apex of the throw's arc. Tharja twirled in the air before Nowi caught her by the ankles. Now hanging upside-down, the sorceress conjured a Nosferatu spell and drained some of the griffon rider's life force. Instead of absorbing the health herself though, she transferred it to Nowi's cut, healing it instantly. Feeling refreshed, the dragon started breathing fireballs at the griffon rider, who woozily dodged a couple before trying to deflect one with his axe. The aqua flame hit his hand, burning it and causing him to drop his weapon into the chasm beneath him.

"That's right! Come get some!" Nowi goaded.

The griffon rider glared at the duo before observing the battlefield below him. He witnessed all of his allies fighting against the Shepherds, but despite putting up a good challenge, he noticed the Grimleal were not faring so well and that they would eventually lose this battle. Pondering his next actions for a moment, the rider ordered his griffon to fly them away from the scene.

"Smart move." Tharja commented to herself as she watched their foe retreat. He was now too far away to inflict any form of magic on him and she certainly wasn't going to bother chasing him. Right now she had other fish to fry. "Nowi, take me to the top of the maze."

"You got it!" Nowi swung Tharja and tossed her up in the air. Tharja then landed on top of the manakete's back who surfed on her flying comrade on the way to the fort. Without waiting for her to stop, the sorceress hopped off of Nowi and landed on top of one of the maze's walls. She took out her Ruin tome and started firing the heavy-damaging spell from above, hitting as many Grimleal as she can.

Inside the fort, Inigo and Owain were running through a corridor until they were stopped by a fork in the path.

"Which way should we go?" asked Inigo.

"Hmm…left or right. One path leads to freedom, the other to an inconvenient dead-end." Owain pondered aloud. "Perhaps we should split up so we have a better chance of finding the exit."

"Split up? Inigo deadpanned. "In a maze. Filled with Grimleal. Who most likely know how to navigate through here. And will have an easier time picking us off if we're alone."

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that? I couldn't hear you under all that attitude." Owain snarked back.

"I'm _sorry_." Inigo's apology couldn't be more fake. "But you do see what I mean, right?"

"I get it, I get it." Owain grumbled, acknowledging the flaw in his suggestion. "So we stick together?"

"We stick together."

"RRRAAAAAAAGH!"

At the sound of that battle cry, Inigo instinctively pivoted out of the way as the soldier who was annoying the enemy leader from before came barreling through from the right side. Owain however wasn't so lucky, as the soldier tackled the young man and hauled him away without slowing down.

"Damn." Inigo muttered. He then heard someone unsheathing a sword and turned to look down the right corridor to see an assassin primed for battle. "Tch. Split up it is then."

As Inigo was left to deal with his problem, Owain was still being shoved backward and about to be stuck between a rock wall and a hard bod. Attempting to prevent this, he grabbed onto the Grimleal and swung his free legs out behind him and pushed them against the wall before the rest of his body could smash into it. Redfox was surprised that the Shepherd not only stopped himself from crashing, but also had enough power to push back. Regardless, neither one let up their strength, and were pushing against each other, with one standing on the floor, and the other on the wall. Owain then took his legs off the wall and threw them up in the air above him and was now held vertically upside-down over Redfox. Not being able to adjust his balance in time, the soldier did an involuntary suplex behind, causing both combatants to fall hard on their backs. After enduring the pain for a bit, they both picked themselves up.

"Salamander?" Redfox questioned.

"You seek a salamander, but instead found a mighty dragon!" Owain took out his sword. "Now tremble as I bear my fangs!"

Redfox drew his own weapon and the two opponents charged straight at each other. Their blades clashed and the fight started out with the usual flurry of sword swipes colliding, until Owain ducked under a horizontal slash and spun once while attacking at his side, making a laceration. Redfox grunted, but retaliated with by dropping his elbow against the back of the Shepherd's head, knocking him to the ground. Owain picked his head up and his face was met with a hard kick, which sent him flying a few feet away before landing on his back. He groggily looked up and saw the Grimleal soldier jumping up with the intent to stab him in the heart. Owain rolled backwards in time to avoid Redfox just as he landed, but when he stood up, the swordsman felt his inner leg sting. He looked down and notice that his opponent grazed him there, making it hard to keep balance for a while. Redfox was now racing towards Owain and swung his sword to the brunette's side. Owain hastily blocked it, but the attack was so strong and he was so unsteady that Redfox ended up knocking him off his feet and into the corridor he and Inigo were before. Owain hit the floor so hard, he actually bounced off it and had to plant his blade when he landed a second time to prevent himself from doing so again.

Once the myrmidon finally stopped sliding backwards, dragging his sword in the ground with him, he glared at Redfox who taunted him a sneer and a jerk of his head. Owain mentally pushed down any thoughts of pain he was feeling and moved straight towards the soldier. He unleashed a volley of slashes at Redfox, who was already prepared to counter and threw out his own, once again hacking away at one another's weapons. Both of them were more focused on offense this time, so they were getting in a few hits, but nothing more than some nicks and scratches. It all seemed to come to a head when Owain managed to knock Redfox's weapon out of his hand and got it lodged into the wall by their side. Owain then swung his sword from the right to deal the final blow. However, his opponent did something that he could never have predicted, nor even think to do himself. Redfox raised his forearm and let the blade pierce his gauntlet and partially sink into his flesh, blocking the attack.

Owain gasped in shock that his enemy used such an unconventional tactic, and despite blood oozing out of his newly acquired gash, he didn't seem to be in all that much pain. Redfox then grabbed Owain by the throat with his uninjured arm and shoved him to a wall. He began punching the swordsman repeatedly in the face, still doing as much damage despite using his wounded arm, kneed him in the ribs, and then threw him across the hall, his body sliding and scraping against the wall before he hit the ground. Owain struggled to get back up, and only managed to stand on one knee before taking several heavy breaths. He stayed there bloodied and battered as he watched Redfox walk back to his sword, still stuck in the wall, and pulled it out.

'This may be my toughest battle yet.' Owain thought. Using the rest of his energy, he strained himself to stand back up and keep steady. 'It's time for this foe of mine to bear witness to the fruits of Mother's training.'

He took a battle stance as the soldier rushed towards him. Owain's sword glowed orange as he moved it in a circular arc around him, creating afterimages of his blade. At the very second Redfox got close enough, Owain pulled his weapon back as it emitted a quick flash of light.

"**CRITICAL HIT!**"

The myrmidon swung violently downwards at Redfox, leaving a fiery trail behind. Once his sword made contact with the soldier, a huge explosion erupted, propelling Redfox through the hall.

"I knew it! I knew it was you!" Redfox screamed while soaring. "SALAMANDER!"

The muscular man was then blasted through a stone wall, leaving a huge hole with him lying motionless on the other side.

Owain stood dramatically for a few seconds before he collapsed down on his knee. He knew the risks of using magic without a tome, and now he was paying for it. He now had to take whatever time he had to catch his breath. Unfortunately it wasn't much, as an unfamiliar voice spoke from behind.

"There's one over there!"

The brunette turned his head and saw several Grimleal troops heading straight for him.

'Curses!' Owain screamed in his head, knowing there wasn't much he could do in his body's current condition. 'Is this truly the end for the Scion of Legend!?'

Just then, all of the Grimleal were smashed to the side and piled up against the wall. Owain was surprised at the sudden event and wondered who or what could have saved him. He might have found his answer when a pink-haired woman brushed past the incapacitated troops and came up to him.

"Owain, is that you?" Olivia asked out of concern.

"Erk! Olivia?" Owain grunted. "You…you took out all those Grimleal? I must say, you are much stronger than your lithe frame suggests."

"What? No." Olivia denied. "That was all Kellam."

"Kellam?" Owain looked past the dancer, but for some reason he saw a smiling dark mage instead of an armored knight. "How come he looks like Henry?"

"That's because I'm standing behind him." Henry answered.

That just raised another question. "How come I can see through Kellam?"

"It's best to just stop asking questions." advised Kellam.

"Very well." Owain took the advice and focused on a more serious matter. "But Henry, if you are here, then where are Donnel and Anna?"

"Oh they got some nasty booboos and had to go get patched up." explained Henry. "So I had to swap them out for Olivia and Kellam. You should've seen the looks on the Grimleal's faces when they got flattened by an invisible giant."

"More importantly, are you alright Owain?" asked Olivia. "You look badly hurt."

"I think he might even be brain damaged." Henry pitched in. "He hasn't once said anything hilariously justicey."

Owain was just too winded to keep in character, but they didn't need to know that. Of course, now was the time to rectify that mistake. "You need not worry about me. A valiant battle was fought, and I came out victorious!" He tried to raise a fist in triumph, but stopped when it started to hurt too much. "However, I'm afraid it took a heavy toll on me."

Olivia started searching through her inventory. "Here take this concoction." She handed him a bottle full of medicine.

"You have my gratitude." Owain took the bottle and downed its contents. Already he could feel its effects working and slowly stood up. "I can walk again! Though I fear I must still retreat."

"Can you make it back on your own?" the dancer queried.

"I may be sore, but I'll be fine. Just make sure you hurry through this maze. Inigo should have made it near the end by now."

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot about him." Henry mused out loud. "Is he any fun?"

"I have a feeling you'll get along." Owain assured. "Now go. And get ready for the final battle."

The three first-gen Shepherds nodded and made their way forward.

Up ahead, Inigo hacked away at an assassin who went down after only a little effort.

"And that makes five kills." he noted. "That should be enough to impress a simple village girl."

A pair of running feet could be heard coming towards him and he noticed that it belonged to another assassin. Inigo tossed his sword high up into the air, sidestepped out of the way when the assassin tried to stab him, grabbed the enemy's arm, and slammed him face first into the wall then swung him backwards into another spot. He let go of the now staggering Grimleal, casually held his hand out behind him to catch his falling weapon by the hilt, and cut the assassin diagonally across the torso.

"And there's six. Hmm…that might earn me a sweet kiss." Inigo grinned at the possibility.

His fantasy was interrupted by more footsteps, as several more Grimleal were coming down the corridor. The mercenary readied himself, but was denied a fight when a Ruin spell took out all his would-be opponents. He looked up to where the dark magic came from and found Tharja aiming at his direction.

"Thanks, love!" Inigo called out. "Always happy to receive a gift from a lady!"

The moment after he said that, a spot on the left wall ahead exploded, revealing Henry, Olivia, and no one else on the other side.

"Yeah, she's pretty handy." Henry commented.

Not even phased that they came through the wall, Inigo smiled that there were more allies to help him. "Well, I wouldn't mind her hands on me." he half-joked.

"Nyaha! That's more dangerous than you think." Henry giggled. "You sure you wanna take that risk?"

"Worse comes to worst, I'll die a happy man." Inigo continued to jest.

Henry laughed some more while Olivia inquired about their progress in the fort. "Are we near the end yet?"

"It's just up ahead." Inigo informed them, now serious for the moment. "Let's finish this once and for all."

The four of them made their way to the exit where they found themselves at the edge of the cliff. And there standing at its peak was the man leading these cultists.

"So some of you were able to make it this far after all." said Jamil. "You heathens aren't as feckless as I thought."

The Shepherds didn't say anything back. Instead, the majority of them moved out of the way to give Kellam a clear shot before he chucked his spear at the assassin.

Jamil's eyes widened briefly as he sensed danger. He tilted his head enough to avoid the incoming lance.

"An invisible soldier." he noted. "Sorcerers, annihilate him!"

At his command, two sorcerers revealed themselves from the ends of the area. They passed their pointer and middle fingers over their eyes, which glowed purple afterwards and allowed them to see Kellam in perfect view.

"There he is!" one of them called out. Both of them went to flank the largest Shepherd as he pulled out another spear and his allies got out of the way.

"Really? You need hexes just to see me?" Kellam complained out loud before defending himself against his attackers.

With the knight on his own, that just left Inigo, Henry, and Olivia to stare down the Grimleal leader before facing off.

Jamil scowled at the three. "All who defy the will of Grima will be purged in the flames of destruction!"

"And all who would harm a woman and take away everyone's smiles will answer to me!" Inigo angrily declared.

"That's right!" Olivia proclaimed, mustering up her courage. "I don't like to fight, but after what you've done, you…YOU…"

"You're gonna have a bad time." finished Henry.

Inigo started the battle charging at Jamil, while Henry pulled out his Ruin tome and Olivia began dancing to inspire him. The cult leader approached the running man and crouched down while spinning to strike at his legs, and Inigo tried to hit Jamil while front flipping. The end result was the philander leaping over his opponent's attack while his own was ducked under and he landed on the other side. Both of them turned around to slash at each other, causing them to clash blades. Jamil heard a spell heading for him and jumped out of the way of Henry's Ruin before it exploded where he stood. Henry kept tossing Ruin after Ruin at a rapid pace thanks to Olivia's dancing, and all Jamil could do was dodge each one. Dust and debris were scattered, making it good camouflage for Inigo to ambush the Grimleal. He searched for Jamil through the clouds of dirt, found a silhouette, and rushed straight at it. He hacked away at the shadow, only to find that he was only slashing at a cape floating in the air. He realized too late though, as Jamil appeared behind him and began his onslaught upon the young man. Inigo kept up his guard as best as he could by dodging, parrying, and flipping out of the way, but Jamil soon got the upper hand and found an opening by striking low and stabbing him through the side of his knee.

Inigo fell down, clutching his leg. Seeing that he was incapacitated for now, Jamil went directly towards the troublesome dark mage. Instead of firing more Ruin spells at him, Henry just smiled and actually let the assassin come near him. When Jamil was close, he swiped horizontally at Henry, who bent down under the attack with his hand on the ground. His grin became wider as he unleashed a spell from his palm, causing an explosion at their feet. Jamil was knocked backwards while Henry was launched upwards and held onto the edges of his cloak to form a makeshift parachute and land down safely.

"Tada!" Henry cheered before resuming his barrage of dark magic upon Jamil. The cultist leader went back to dodging them while racing towards Henry. One spell was incoming, strafe left. Another was shot, strafe right. When the third was fired at his feet, Jamil was close enough to Henry so he side-flipped over the explosion while swinging his sword in midair, slicing Henry's tome vertically in half. Once Jamil landed, he shot his leg out, round kicked Henry in the side of his face and hooked his leg back so he would hit the other side with his heel. He wasn't done, as when he put his foot down, he turned 180° and delivered a hard side kick to the whitehead's chest, booting him into the wall.

Seeing Henry in trouble, Olivia ran towards Jamil and grabbed his shoulders, flipped over him, and kneed him in the back. After enduring the pain, Jamil glared at the dancer, ready to retaliate as she drew her sword. They engaged in combat, but Olivia mostly spent the fight dodging and weaving around the assassin's attacks, essentially dancing around him, while barely striking back. Jamil wouldn't let up though and continued dishing out attacks and deflecting the few that came his way. Soon after he intercepted a low kick with his knee, Jamil thought Olivia slipped up in her defenses and tried to take advantage with a heavy blow. She blocked his blade, and then swept his foot, sending him tumbling to the ground. However, Jamil managed to catch himself by landing on his hands and followed up by kicking the young woman with both his legs. She was knocked to the wall and hit her head hard enough that her vision went blurry for a couple of seconds. It fixed itself at the nick of time as Olivia saw a sword coming overhead and held her own above with both hands to stop it from cutting her head open. Jamil kept his weapon locked with the Shepherd's for a short time until he eased up on his pressure, quickly turned his back to her, and elbowed her in the throat.

Olivia went down on her knees, coughing and gasping as she held her throat in pain. Since the back of her neck was already to the wall, it made her windpipes all the more crushed. A shadow loomed over her, and she looked up to see Jamil standing menacingly. He raised his sword, prepared to finish off the woman, who could only just close her eyes out of fear. Before Jamil could skewer her, Inigo came from behind, jumped on the Grimleal's back and held on. Jamil stumbled away from Olivia as he struggled to get the extra weight off of him while Inigo was trying to cut him across the torso. He managed to make a small incision near the lower abdomen before Jamil purposefully fell backwards, using Inigo's body as a cushion and rolled out of his grip until he was near the cliff's edge.

The two of them stood up and stared the other down. Inigo pushed through the pain and moved forward, gradually gaining speed. He was now in full sprint and about to hit Jamil with everything he had. However, Jamil grabbed Inigo's weapon hand, halting the attack, and his opposite shoulder while falling backwards again. Inigo came tumbling down with him, but was stopped halfway by Jamil's leg, which pushed him upwards and flipped him over the edge of the cliff.

"Inigo!" Olivia wheezed.

Jamil got back up and looked to see if his foe really did go over the edge before glaring back at the remaining two.

Down below, Sumia was just finishing off a dark flier, and not a moment too soon as she heard screaming behind him. She turned towards its direction and gasped when she saw Inigo' flailing body falling. She twirled her spear once and threw it at the falling mercenary, catching him by the collar of his shirt and impaling itself into the cliff. Inigo dangled there unharmed as Sumia flew over to aid him.

"S-sorry about your shirt." She apologized.

"I can always find a tailor." Inigo brushed off before getting serious. "Quick! You have to get me back up there!"

Sumia complied and let him ride with her as they made their way back to the top.

Back on solid ground, Olivia just stayed still on her knees trying to cope with what just happened. She witnessed Inigo fall to his doom to give her a few more minutes of her life. Death is always guaranteed in war, even amongst the Ylissean soldiers, but this was the first Shepherd to perish. And their newest recruit no less, who also happened to be one of few survivors of the future. What was Olivia supposed to tell Lucina and Owain now that their long sought out friend was gone after one battle?

But most of all, she felt personally hurt over Inigo's death, but couldn't understand why. Was it because he was a kind soul despite some unsavory tendencies involving women? Was it because he saved her life and now felt guilty that he died because of it? Or was it because there was something about him that made her feel they had a deeper connection? She may never know the answer.

"Aw man, I liked that guy." Henry said, slightly dejected.

His words brought Olivia back to her current situation. She and Henry were battered and literally had their backs against the wall because of the cultist walking slowly towards them. On top of their condition, Henry was tomeless and Olivia wasn't much of a fighter to begin with. Things were looking pretty bleak now.

Jamil continued making his way forward with every intent to end his opponents here and now. However, before he got far, Sumia's pegasus flew up from below the cliff with its two passengers. Inigo jumped off the mount and slashed across Jamil's back as he landed. This caught the assassin off guard as he not only staggered forward, but he also lost his grip on his weapon, flying out of his hand and landing at Henry's feet.

Henry and Olivia were shocked that Inigo was still alive, but right now they had an opportune moment to win. Henry picked up the sword, and while he wasn't a proficient wielder, he was good enough to charge straight at Jamil and ram the sword right through his face to the point the blade was lodged in. Henry then bent down on one knee as Olivia raced over, leapfrogged over the dark mage, and struck the bottom of the sword's hilt with her palm so hard it forced the blade in farther into Jamil's skull. He probably wasn't even alive at that point, but his body continued to stumble backwards on his feet. When he got near Inigo, the mercenary simply stuck out his foot and tripped him up. Jamil fell backwards, over the edge of the cliff, plummeting towards the ground.

*_End battle music_*

The three Shepherds looked over the edge to make sure Jamil really plummeted all the way down and that it was all finally over. Silence lingered until Henry decided to break it.

"Have a nice—"

"Don't." Inigo cut him off.

"What?" Henry queried.

"I said don't." Inigo restated.

"Aw c'mon, this is the perfect opportunity."

"I'm all for quips after a battle, but can't you say something a _little_ more original?"

"It's a classic!"

Henry and Inigo continued to argue about the originality of one-liners, Olivia had a moment of realization. "Wait, Kellam!"

"I'm alright." The three turned around and saw the knight standing there with some scuffs on his armor and the corpses of the sorcerers next to him. "I managed to fight them off while you guys were doing your own thing. It was kind of epic actually, but you didn't see it because…you know."

With their ally confirmed safe, they all could rest easy as the last of the Grimleal have been slain.

* * *

Everyone regrouped in front of the fort to heal up after the extensive conflict. Inigo was currently sitting on a crate while Lissa used her staff to patch up his knee.

"How's it feel?" the cleric asked.

"Good as new." Inigo assured as he swung his lower leg to test it. "Is there anything healing magic can't cure?"

"Apparently hangovers." Lissa muttered.

"I prefer to stick to tea anyways." chuckled Inigo. "Speaking of which…" He noticed Lucina walking towards him with her father and Robin in tow. "Lucina, now that the fight is over, how about we chat over a nice cup?"

"I would love to." the blue-haired girl smiled. She really did look forward to talking to him after being separated for so long. "But are you sure, you're okay? You did just fall from a cliff."

"I'm alive aren't I?" Inigo pointed out in good humor.

"You are, but that doesn't always mean you're ready to fight again." said Chrom.

"You had a near death experience, and who knows how the trauma could affect your mind." Robin explained.

"What, is that all you're worried about?" Inigo asked.

"This is serious, Inigo." Lucina chastised.

"Yeah, people don't tend to just laugh off near death experiences like that." Lissa added.

Inigo let out a sigh, annoyed that this subject couldn't be let go. "Look, it was scary, I'll admit. But what's important is that I survived, so I wouldn't fret over it."

"Well you should!" a voice cried out. They all turned to see it was Olivia who shouted, surprisingly enough, and she looked really peeved as she came over to him. "How could you be so reckless and just throw yourself off a cliff like that!?"

"Uh…well…it wasn't by choice." Inigo answered, confused that the pinkette was suddenly angry.

"Don't get smart with me young man!" Olivia scolded. "Do you know how worried I was when I thought we lost you!?"

At this point, everyone stopped what they were doing to look at the resident shrinking violet go off on a tirade. Some even started to gather around her. After pegasi, dragons, people turning into dragons, magic spells, undead warriors, and people from the future, this was by far the most unbelievable sight anybody has ever behold, and they were going to take in every moment of it. And though she hid it well, Olivia herself was most shocked of all at her newfound backbone. She couldn't explain it, but she felt no problems talking to this young man. Nevertheless, she was still going to give him an earful.

"Olivia, please…" Inigo beseeched. "You're making a scene, and I'm not fond of all this attention."

"Good, I want them to know what you did!" Olivia countered. "What would your parents do if they learned you died before they got to see you!?"

"Well right now my mother is saying 'What would your parents do if they learned you died before they got to see you?'." Inigo half-jested.

Olivia just got huffier. "What's that supposed…to…mean…" She got calmer and quieter as the realization hit her. "It can't be."

Inigo gave her a sad, but knowing smile. "Hello Mother."

The dancer almost couldn't comprehend what she was hearing. Her, a mother? "H-how…how is that possible?"

"What, you can't trust this face?" Inigo teased.

"N-no, I believe you." Olivia affirmed. "It's just…I'm not even married or anything and I already have a son. I don't even think there's anyone who'd be interested in me."

"Come now Mother, you sure you haven't caught anyone's eye?" Inigo asked in good humor. "Maybe a creepy, but loveable scamp who just likes his day job of murdering people a bit too much?"

Olivia's eyes widened. "You don't mean…"

Everybody turned to stare at the one Shepherd who fit that description. Standing outside the group was Henry with a confused look on his face.

"Who me?" he asked.

Inigo stood up from his crate and smiled anxiously. "Yes you, Father."

For once, Henry wasn't wearing his usual smile. He stood still silently for a few seconds before breaking out into the biggest grin he could muster.

"Neat!"

"What?" Olivia choked out.

Henry came over and circled around Inigo as if to inspect him. "I've always liked kids, but I never thought I'd get one of my own. This is awesome!"

"I'm glad you're taking this so well, Father." Inigo thanked, happy that the dark mage was so accepting.

"Imagine all the fun father-son things we can do!" Henry proposed. "We can play catch, kill our enemies together, and I can drink their blood out of a #1 dad mug. Man, being a parent is gonna be great!"

"Heh heh, I would love to make up for lost time." Inigo agreed sincerely. "Just, let's do something less…inhumane beyond all reason."

"Wait, Henry." Olivia interrupted the moment. "Aren't you weirded out that this means we'll be m-…married in the future?"

The dark mage stopped enjoying himself and pondered about the point that was just made. "Oh yeah, I guess that is true, huh?" he concluded before shrugging. "Meh, I don't mind."

"You don't?" the dancer questioned. "You'd be okay if we were together?"

"Sure! You seem like a swell gal, even if you are a crazy lady. Lucky for you, I like crazy." If everyone didn't know any better, they would assume that last sentence was a flirt.

"O-oh, I-I-I u-uh…" Olivia kept getting flustered as she tried to stammer out a response. She was getting poor results and felt her only salvation was to change topics. "S-so Inigo, you came from the future like Lucina and Owain, right?"

"That's right." Inigo confirmed, realizing his mother was nervous and deciding to help her out. "I assume Lucina filled you in on everything?"

"She did." Olivia sympathized. "She told us all about Grima and what you kids went through. You poor thing, you must have been so devastated."

"Not at all Mother. I had abnormally strong faith in the future." Inigo reassured. "Youth is a wonderful thing."

"Really? I'm so relieved to hear that." Olivia relaxed. "Still, I wish we could've been there for you. A child shouldn't have to grow up without their parents."

"Well you're here for me now." Inigo reassured. "If you really want to, we can always make up for lost time."

"Yeah, I think we'd both like that." beamed Olivia. "You're such a darling boy."

"And he's super smart." Henry added. "How did you know we would be here to fight off those Grimleal?"

"Ehehehehe. I didn't." Inigo chuckled embarrassedly. "It's a good thing you showed up though, I didn't realize how tough those Grimleal were. If you weren't around, I wouldn't have even made it a minute through that battle."

"Wait hold on a second." Chrom spoke up. "You were going to try and take out all those soldiers by yourself? What was your plan, sir?"

"Hey I had to try and stop them right away." argued Inigo. "Girls could be watching!"

Silence lingered as everyone took in the absurd justification the mercenary gave.

"What?" Chrom spoke for everyone.

"Those town beauties are settled nearby. Any one of them could've walked on over and see me in action from a safe distance."

Again, the awkward silence enveloped over them the moment Inigo opened his mouth.

"That's your reason?" Chrom deadpanned. "That's your reason for risking your life?"

"Oh like you haven't done anything stupid just to impress a girl?" Inigo shot back.

That caught the Exalt off-guard and he was looking very guilty all of a sudden. "Well…"

* * *

_Flashback…_

Chrom strutted out onto the training courtyard feeling proud, cocky, and full of self-aggrandized machismo. The reason for this out of character behavior was simple. There were several women watching and giggling at him in admiration. Normally outsiders wouldn't be allowed anywhere within the palace walls, but thanks to Chrom's authority as prince, he gave his admirers permission to watch him train.

The only other people in the courtyard were Lissa and Sumia, the former trying to help the latter with her training so she could build more confidence as a Shepherd. As soon as they heard the giggling though, they turned to face the women and groaned. They've been coming here a few days now just to gawk at Chrom flexing, which was made even more obnoxious with the lord's commentary.

"Yeah, you like that, huh?" Chrom asked while posing. "How about this?" He struck another flexing pose. "Or this?" He went into a third pose.

The admirers cheered for him each time, while Lissa and Sumia bemoaned the sight. They almost suspect foul play, as Chrom has never really taken an interest in any woman before. Not even the two female Shepherds who have been clearly crushing on him. Speaking of which…

"So you're training hard in order to impress him?" Lissa wryly asked Sumia.

"He just doesn't know any better." The unconfident girl stated, more just to convince herself than anything. "One day he'll realize he should be with a nice girl. He has to."

Lissa sighed and looked over to her brother again, while Sumia just kept muttering to herself "He's just going through a phase. He's just going through a phase."

"Hey you girls want to see something cool?" Chrom asked his admirers suddenly.

The group of women gave their nods and "mm-hmms", so Chrom walked over to the weapons rack and picked up a spear.

"Alright then, I'm going to take this spear and throw it over the palace."

The admirers oohed and were ready to be impressed, but Lissa and Sumia looked more skeptical and worried.

"Uh Chrom, I know you're a strong guy and all, but I _really_ don't think you can make that throw." Lissa tried to dissuade her brother.

"Come on Lissa, I can do this no problem." Chrom encouraged them.

"The palace is five stories high." Lissa pointed out. "Not to mention you've never wielded a spear before."

"All I have to do is throw it hard enough and it should go over. There's nothing to it."

Lissa gave up and decided to let the inevitable disaster unfurl. Chrom took a running start and chucked the spear with all his might. The strength put into the throw was phenomenal, but he screwed up the aiming and his angle was off. Way off. As in "he ended up aiming straight at the first floor window and broke it" off.

That was bad enough on its own, but it got worse when it kept flying and broke through the wall of the room as well. And it still kept going and broke through another wall…

"Well, it took seven straight hours, but I've finally finished cleaning the palace." Frederick said to himself, holding a broom at his side. He inspected the room and the various objects he cleaned all around him. "I now have the rest of the afternoon all to myself."

Chrom's spear made itself known when it bursted through the wall, shattered a vase on a pedestal, and busted through another wall. The pedestal holding the vase toppled over and set off a chain reaction of objects knocking down, from furniture to shelves with fragile porcelains, undoing all the great knight's hard work.

"Oh thank Naga! I was afraid I would have to relax." He happily said and immediately started sweeping.

In the kitchen one room over, a chef was sprinkling spices over a raw turkey as his protégés watched.

"And now that we've finished seasoning, we will finally put the turkey in the oven."

The head chef turned away to throw a log into the oven to keep it at the right temperature. At that moment, the spear crashed through the room, tore through the turkey on the counter, and broke through the wall on the other side.

The protégés gasped when they witnessed this display, especially at the ruined turkey which was now split down the middle. The head chef turned back again and saw the carved dinner he worked so hard on, but remained oddly calm.

"Not to worry." the head chef assured. "Because this was just a demonstration, I already had a cooked turkey pre-prepared."

He took out said cooked turkey from underneath the counter and set it down, making the protégés awe and clap at the final product.

In another room, Emmeryn was holding a meeting with two diplomats from Themis sitting across a table from her.

"And so Your Grace, that's why we propose to build an aqueduct in Themis—"

The spear broke into the room, interrupting the meeting by zooming over the table before it pierced through the opposite wall. The whole event surprised everyone present, especially the diplomats.

"What the hell was that!?" one of them questioned.

"Was that a spear!?" the other inquired. "Were you trying to kill us, Your Grace!?

"We didn't know you felt so strongly about this!"

"Oh Naga, what if she's just like her father!?"

The two men raised their arms up in surrender and began pleading for their lives.

"Okay, forget about the aqueduct! Water is overrated anyways!"

"We'll give you whatever you want! Just please don't kill us!"

"You can take our gold!"

"You can take our land!"

"You can take our wives!"

"If you're into that sort of thing, that is!"

"We don't judge!"

Emmeryn didn't respond to any of their offers and instead just heaved an annoyed sigh. "Chrom."

Back in the courtyard, everyone stared at the broken window Chrom made. They all heard the various crashes and various objects breaking, no doubt caused by the thrown spear.

Despite his obvious blunder, Chrom tried to save face and play it off as if he meant to do that. "Well…anybody can throw a spear over a palace. But it takes real muscles to throw a spear _through_ one."

Lissa facepalmed while Sumia shook her head at the display.

* * *

_End Flashback…_

"In my defense, they were still impressed." Chrom defended.

"Yeah, those are the kinds of girls you want to impress." Sumia remarked sardonically.

"And besides, that was way back in my younger days."

"Three years isn't that much younger." Lissa commented equally as dry.

Chrom grimaced, knowing he proved Inigo's point. However, instead of letting him have his smug satisfaction, the Exalt was determined to give him a better example.

"Alright, so I screwed up." Chrom admitted. He then went to grab Frederick and brought him over. "But Frederick here has been by my side and served my family since I was young. I wouldn't be where I am today if he wasn't always around to keep my head on my shoulders. So he would never do anything foolish to impress a girl."

The stalwart coughed in his hand uncomfortably, causing Chrom to look at him.

"What, seriously!? You as well!?"

"Before I was courting your sister, I was still taking lessons from her on how to relax. Frederick started explaining himself. "And by trying to show her how far I've come along…"

* * *

_Flashback…_

"Frederick! Frederick!" Lissa called out.

The blonde princess was walking around in the forest searching for Chrom's left-hand man. He went to go hunt for some food in the wild, but he hasn't returned after some time. Lissa volunteered to go search for him to make sure nothing terrible has happened.

"Frederick!" Lissa called his name again. "Seriously, where are you!?"

"Over here, milady." A calm voice answered.

Finally a response. Lissa made her way towards the direction of the voice, which led her into a clearing.

"Hey Frederick, what's taking you so—"

She stopped midsentence as she froze in fear from the sight she saw. In front of her was Frederick lying down relaxing. A very rare event, but nothing scary on its own. What put Lissa in a panic was the fact that he was laying on the back of a sleeping bear.

"What are you doing!?" Lissa yelled in a harsh whisper so she wouldn't wake the bear.

"I am relaxing, milady." Frederick casually stated.

"Frederick that is a sleeping bear! That thing could maul us to death!" Lissa hissed.

"Only if it awakens. As long as I remain calm, I shouldn't be able to disturb its slumber." Frederick said as if there was no danger.

"Get off right now!"

"But milady, are you not amazed at how relaxed I am? This is all because of your lessons."

"Yeah, good, I'm proud of you. Now get off before it wakes up!"

Unfortunately, the bear started to jerk a little and slowly open its eyes. Once a person in yellow came into its vision, it began to growl.

"Oh no." a scared Lissa murmured.

The bear let out a loud roar, frightening the girl even more. Frederick though remained unperturbed, and simply got up, wrapped his arms around the bear's collar and threw his whole body backwards, snapping the beast's neck.

Lissa's eyes couldn't have gone wider after she witnessed that. Seeing the bear's carcass lying there on the ground after it was so easily dispatched, she only had one thing to say.

"Oh please don't tell me we're gonna have to eat that."

* * *

_End Flashback…_

"In my defense, that bear was still more comfortable than those *groan* hammocks you insisted I lay on." Frederick stated, feeling a soreness in his back at the mention of the word.

"That's because you don't understand how great they are!" Lissa argued. "You must learn to respect the hammocks! Appreciate the hammocks! Learn to love the hammocks!"

Chrom sighed as another attempt failed. "Okay, so Frederick has his faults as well." He then brought over his shirtless "rival" to his side. "But Vaike here is one of our best fighters and a hard worker. And he would never— I should just skip you right now, shouldn't I?"

"Yeah, the Vaike's done more stupid things to impress the ladies than I can count." Vaike admitted while sweat dropping.

"So eleven?" cracked Gaius.

"Watch it bub!" Vaike snapped.

"Okay, is there any one of you men who hasn't done something stupid to impress a woman!?" Chrom asked the rest of his male comrades. He was practically begging at this point.

All of the men looked away either muttering, scratching the back of their heads, and/or whistling not-so-innocently.

"Come on!" Chrom cried out, exasperated. "Lon'qu?"

"When Ke'ri was still alive, I tried to pick a fight with an entire street gang so she would think I was tough." the gynophobe confessed.

"Ricken?"

"I may have tattooed abs on my stomach so a cute girl might notice me." said the young prodigy before clutching his gut. "I can sometimes still feel the tattoo removal hex."

It all seemed hopeless now. Was there really not a single man among them that had a better sense of judgment when it came to their actions around women? Thinking along those lines, Chrom realized he may have a last resort.

"Wait, Robin! You're our tactician! You always know the best course of action! Surely you're better than all of us when it comes to these sorts of situations!"

Robin didn't answer right away and mainly blushed instead. "Um…"

Hearing his hesitation, Chrom just about broke down. "No." he protested softly and then immediately raised his voice. "No, No, No! You only have a few years' worth of memories! When could you have possibly had tried to impress someone!?"

"Hey, a lot can happen during the two-year time of peace!" Robin defended himself.

Lucina glanced at the whitehead sideways when she heard this. While she kept tabs on the first generation during that time of peace, she didn't know about every little event in that period. What exactly happened between Robin and this mystery woman? Who was she? How much of a threat was she to Lucina's fantasies? These were all important questions that needed to be answered.

"See what I mean?" Inigo asked rhetorically.

"Okay, so you have a point." Chrom relented, knowing it was now time to give up. "But I don't want you to spend every waking moment trying to get into a girl's pants. Can you promise us that you will take this war seriously?"

"You have my word." Inigo assured earnestly. "I'm as dedicated and driven to stopping Grima as anyone of you. I came to the past knowing I would have a better chance to do so. It was hard enough for me to leave everyone counting on me in the future, but I won't let it be for naught."

That answer satisfied Chrom and he eased up in response. "Alright then, welcome aboard."

"E-excuse me." a feminine voice called out from behind.

Inigo perked up at the sweet sound and turned his head to see who made it. It was the maiden from before who informed the Shepherds about the Grimleal destroying their town.

"It has been awfully quiet for some time over here. I wanted to make sure if you all won the battle." she said.

And just like that, a flip was switched that made Inigo break out all of his charms. He flipped up his collar before facing her fully with his hands in his pockets. "Well hello there, love. No need to worry about those mean ol' homewreckers anymore. We've taken care of them for you."

"Oh thank you so much." the maiden showed her gratitude. "Maybe now we can rebuild the town in peace. I don't know how we could repay you."

"Well I hate to sound greedy, but I wouldn't mind spending the afternoon with you."

The girl's cheeks turned red, but became intrigued. "My, how forward. I suppose that would be alright, Mr.…?"

"Inigo. Dashing drifter and debonair extraordinaire." He replied while flipping his hair.

"Oh, you must be the man my sisters talked about."

"Sisters, eh?" The word "Score!" repeatedly flashed in the womanizer's mind. "Well I'm starting to see the resemblance. Yes, they informed me about your rogue problem and I went charging in alone to put an end to their monstrosities."

"You are so terribly brave. Part of me wishes I could have been there to witness it."

"Well I can't take all the credit." Inigo rubbed his fingers against his chest. "I happened to team up with this merry band and we were able to assist each other. All I did was handle seven of them, including their leader."

"Wow, you must be incredible!"

"Well, let's get to know each other first before we make assumptions." Inigo wrapped his arm around the maiden's shoulders. "How about we do so with your sisters over some tea?" He walked away with her leaving the rest of the army behind.

Almost all of the other Shepherds just watched the scene dumbfounded. Not ten seconds after he officially joins and he's already making the moves on a stranger.

"Well he seems to be having fun." Henry happily acknowledged.

Chrom looked at him wondering if he was seriously okay with Inigo acting this way. At least Olivia had the decency to look embarrassed at her son's behavior. Though he figured he might as well let the young merc enjoy himself as they were taking this time to recuperate, so he could do whatever he wanted to now.

On that note everyone else went back to their previous tasks and started moving about again. All except for Robin who stood still, looking lost in thought. This did not go unnoticed by Lucina who naturally went up to him to see what was wrong.

"Is something bothering you, Robin?" she asked.

"I can't help but wonder." the tactician began speaking. "We came here expecting the Valmese to be holding down this fort, but ended up facing the Grimleal instead. They should have still been in Plegia, so what were they doing here?"

Lucina was starting to share his uneasiness. "So you've noticed as well." She acknowledged. "I was just as surprised to face them this soon."

"Not only that, but some of the things the leader said, and just how much they were prepared, it seemed like they were expecting us." Robin continued.

"Hmm…" Lucina tried to think of an explanation until a horrid thought entered her mind. "Wait, you don't think they could be spying on us, do you?" she inquired.

"That's the most likely case." Robin concluded. "Lucina, how much do you know about the Grimleal from your time?"

"Not as much as I'd like to. They mostly remained unknown until the final moments before the fell dragon reawakened. Even when I travelled to Plegia before I joined you, there was nothing new I could gather about them. Though I suppose it wouldn't be unreasonable to assume they've only now begun to take action while we're occupied with this war."

"And this early into the campaign." Robin noted. "I've got a bad feeling."

He continued to stand there looking anxious, the possible threat of the Grimleal clearly eating at him very much. While she knew they will have to deal with this issue eventually, Lucina wanted to make sure Robin would get the rest he needed after such a stressful battle. Luckily, she knew just what to talk about to take his mind off of things.

"Sooo who was the girl you were trying to impress?"

It worked like a charm. Robin was instantly blushing as the reminder of his humiliating blunder came up. And as a bonus, maybe Lucina will get the answers she needed.

"O-oh…j-just some women in Ylisstol. You wouldn't know them."

Women? As in more than one? This was worse than she feared. "Well what did you do to try and impress them?"

"Uh-uh…" Robin stammered. "I think I hear something else happening! Talk to you later Lucina!" He hastily made his exit to avoid discussing this matter any further.

"Wait! Robin!" Lucina called to him, giving chase. No matter what lengths she had to go, she _will_ find out what happened.

* * *

Somewhere in the sky, an injured soldier was riding a griffon over a forest. His flying was shaky to the point he could fall off his mount at any point, but it was urgent he deliver his message. He didn't even stop to heal his burned hand. He finally made it to his destination and swooped down to a seemingly random spot thick in the woods. Once his griffon landed, he got off and bowed down on one knee.

"Mistress, I regret to inform you that our lookout point was lost to the Shepherds." he addressed to seemingly nobody.

"Is that so?" a seductive voice calmly noted.

A voluptuous figure walked out from the forest's shadows to reveal itself. It was a dark-skinned, white-haired woman who wore a dark outfit that revealed a large portion of her torso. Despite the rider's ashamed tone, she did not look at all displeased by the news she received.

"Well then." she spoke again. "I guess it's time for Plan B, isn't it?"

* * *

**Man, what if Lucina did have the brand on her butt instead of her eye? Imagine how different the reveal scene would've been.**

* * *

**Lucina:** Here. Look closely, and all will be made clear. *_Turns around, bends over, and pulls down her pants, showing off her brand._*

**Chrom:** I have the weirdest and most shameful boner right now.

**Robin:** Same here. Minus the shameful part.

**Sumia:** Ditto.

* * *

**What can I say? Everyone wants a piece of that fine Lucina ass (God I'm immature). I'll try to keep the future chapters skit-free from now on.**

**Moral of the story: Never do stupid things just to impress someone of the opposite sex. Do them because they're most likely gonna be cool and you can brag that you did them to your friends.**

**And that's our comeback! Sorry if it's not as good or entertaining as usual, but please understand that I wrote this coming off a MASSIVE funk. That being said, please bitch at me in the reviews if you honestly feel that this wasn't good and why. No seriously, I encourage it. How else am I gonna learn to better myself without constructive criticism?**

**Oh and we now have another couple confirmed which is also our first official poll winner. Everyone give a huge applause for HenryXOlivia! *mild applause* Yeah I don't think anyone was actually surprised this pairing won. Like 90% of everyone does this pairing. Even the game's coding implies it's canon (they support faster with each other than with any other characters). Wait, you're wondering why they didn't have them get engaged like Frederick and Lissa? Well people, if all the pairings got hitched immediately as they were revealed, that'd be redundant (and unrealistic). So instead, we'll just watch and observe how everyone's relationship plays out until the inevitable happens.**

**And we also got good ol' Inigo on the team! Though you've probably noticed that if you go by the _Awakening_ map, you would be passing the Valm docks where you recruit Say'ri to get to him. Now this may seem like a huge plothole, but let me ask you all one question. How many of you can actually remember every location on the _Awakening_ map by memory? I wouldn't think that many of you, if there's any at all. So yeah, I've decided to take some liberties regarding the recruitment of the children and their canon locations. However, if this does bother many people, I will try to change it to make it more acceptable to most people's liking. But for now, I'm sticking with my actual game plan.**

**Well that's all I have to say for now. Hopefully the next chapter will come out at a much more reasonable amount of time. While I can't guarantee it, all I can promise you is that I'll TRY. And hey besides _Fates_, it's not like there's anything that'll make me take as long as I did before, right? *cue footage of _Xenoblade Chronicles X_* ...Welp, see you all in another nine months!**


End file.
